Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena, Spain and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,425 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. The total is higher in Cartagena despite lower rent and utilities.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
Learn more

Cartagena Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,425

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartagena and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,425 in Cartagena versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Cartagena $1,425
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Cartagena versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Cartagena $2,101
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Cartagena versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Cartagena $2,778
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Cartagena is roughly 6% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.40

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

316.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €50.3

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

57.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 €7.12

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

43.76%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.21

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-9.19%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.30

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

50.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

139.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.06

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.46

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

-11.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-18.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.06

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-47.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

121.01%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.54

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

94.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 €11.48

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-27.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 €6.01

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

69.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 €16.79

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

53.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.12

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

-35.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

61.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-29.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.87

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

62.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-30.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-47.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$0.51 Rp 9,303

35.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.11

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

157.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.64

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-71.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-60.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.32

$0.25 Rp 4,548

492.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.08 €9.93

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

41.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €5.06

$0.44 Rp 7,964

1184.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €2.00

$0.43 Rp 7,793

418.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.72 €24.83

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

412.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.59

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

115.85%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.6K €30.9K

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

44.94%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$29.9K €26.7K

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-5.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$211 €189

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

166.99%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.43 €17.40

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

201.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 €26.21

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

57.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 €36.92

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

-16.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 €11.47

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

-27.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 €6.91

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

80.80%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$406 €364

$491 Rp 8.9M

-17.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,651 €2,374

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

-53.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 €41.61

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 €31.24

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

-0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 €54.2

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-24.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €90.5

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

27.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 €534

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-47.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 €439

$671 Rp 12.2M

-27.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 €781

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-75.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €644

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

-58.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,737 €1,556

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-36.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 €1,278

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-37.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 €1,526

$164 Rp 3.0M

940.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

13.78

-70.54%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$490 34.4%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 37.1% $182

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$269 18.9%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 7.2% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$260 18.2%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 59.9% $156

Eating Out

Cartagena

$207 14.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 47.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

$109 7.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 1.7% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$57 4%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 2.4% $1.4

Getting Around

Cartagena

$34 2.4%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 66.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Cartagena and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays about 10 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Cartagena vs $36 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $288, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

01:38 1:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

7 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,050

74,800

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartagena Ubud, Bali 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cartagena vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Cartagena is about 10 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $596 in Cartagena versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $56 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,425 per month in Cartagena versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cartagena and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Cartagena on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.