Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Mesa, CA 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 Costa Mesa, CA and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $5,540 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $7,121 per month in Costa Mesa, CA vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 189% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Costa Mesa, CA and Ubud, Bali sit above the global median – Costa Mesa, CA by 193%, Ubud, Bali by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

496.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

123.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

156.90%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

104.76%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

107.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

201.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

171.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

126.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

74.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

297.46%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

137.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-26.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

400.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

76.45%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

41.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

57.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

102.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

200.52%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

140.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

1.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.53 Rp 9,475

258.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

408.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-34.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-14.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.24 Rp 4,315

712.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

692.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$0.48 Rp 8,684

1170.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

67.05%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

51.45%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-18.01%

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

$218 $218

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

162.15%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

962.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

285.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-28.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-32.58%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

280.59%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$493 Rp 8.9M

142.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

23.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

34.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

17.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

63.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

138.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$676 Rp 12.2M

265.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

19.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

125.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

233.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

215.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$165 Rp 3.0M

3720.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

13.78

-53.63%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 72.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 39.5% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 69.8% $250

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 68.9% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 26.7% $39

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 85% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 11.7% $8.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 3720% higher in Costa Mesa, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $480 vs $290 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

15 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Costa Mesa, CA Ubud, Bali 13,910 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, CA
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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Costa Mesa, CA costs about 189% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,938 per month in Costa Mesa, CA and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Costa Mesa, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Costa Mesa, CA at $3,959. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Costa Mesa, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,368 versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Costa Mesa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.