Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,533 in Chelmsford versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,891 in Chelmsford versus $2,313 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,249 in Chelmsford versus $3,252 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Chelmsford is roughly 84% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chelmsford 88% above, Ubud, Bali 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.57 £20.03

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

700.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.1 £43.77

$35.33 Rp 631.4K

64.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 £6.90

$5.33 Rp 95.3K

71.67%

Cappuccino

$4.94 £3.73

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

79.64%

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

$3.16 £2.38

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

82.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 £1.32

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 £5.41

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

143.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 £5.62

$4.44 Rp 79.3K

67.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.27

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

12.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 £1.77

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.07

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

149.09%

Eggs

$3.50 £2.64

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

62.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 £6.24

$17.09 Rp 305.4K

-51.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 £6.37

$3.88 Rp 69.3K

117.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 £10.68

$11.92 Rp 213.0K

18.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 £1.77

$3.57 Rp 63.7K

-34.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

-3.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.61 £2.72

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 £2.47

$1.97 Rp 35.1K

66.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.34

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

-1.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.16

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-35.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.37

$0.49 Rp 8,782

269.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.16 £17.46

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

929.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.96 £9.01

$22.30 Rp 398.5K

-46.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 £2.14

$2.37 Rp 42.3K

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 £2.64

$2.90 Rp 51.7K

21.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 £2.93

$0.25 Rp 4,452

1452.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.6 £53.2

$8.55 Rp 152.8K

725.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 £3.61

$0.44 Rp 7,897

988.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.32

$0.42 Rp 7,547

314.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.22 £19.77

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

363.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.90 £1.43

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

134.57%

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

$37.6K £28.4K

$23.7K Rp 424.2M

58.57%

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

$40.1K £30.2K

$31.0K Rp 553.6M

29.42%

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

$265 £200

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

221.96%

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

$14.66 £11.05

$6.30 Rp 112.6K

132.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.89 £26.30

$18.63 Rp 333.0K

87.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 £38.04

$54.7 Rp 978.1K

-7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 329.7K

Cinema Ticket

$17.13 £12.91

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

304.01%

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

$1,842 £1,389

$484 Rp 8.7M

280.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.4K £10.1K

$5,590 Rp 99.9M

140.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$100 £75.4

$45.77 Rp 818.0K

118.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 £33.15

$35.69 Rp 637.9K

23.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 £70.3

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

19.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 £63.7

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,559 £1,175

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

35.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,185 £893

$678 Rp 12.1M

74.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,716 £2,048

$3,504 Rp 62.6M

-22.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 £1,867

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

46.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 49.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,912 £2,195

$165 Rp 2.9M

1664.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

13.78

-62.19%

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

Last update for Chelmsford: September 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,559 in Chelmsford and $1,147 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chelmsford pays 1664% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Chelmsford vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $306 vs $286 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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

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

Chelmsford and Ubud, Bali differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($2,533 vs $1,374 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1664% higher in Chelmsford, 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: $1,559 in Chelmsford versus $1,147 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,842 in Chelmsford versus $484 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Chelmsford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,533 in Chelmsford, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Chelmsford. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Chelmsford and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Chelmsford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.