Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cruz Bay and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,911 in Cruz Bay, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Cruz Bay

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$2,911

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,911 in Cruz Bay versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Cruz Bay $2,911
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,707 in Cruz Bay versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Cruz Bay $4,707
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,503 in Cruz Bay versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Cruz Bay $6,503
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Cruz Bay is roughly 116% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.27 $30.27

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

811.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 $94.2

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

164.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.90 $16.90

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

205.61%

Cappuccino

$9.04 $9.04

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

232.35%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

75.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

438.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 $8.11

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

206.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.26 $9.26

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

111.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$8.08 $8.08

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

442.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

138.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

296.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

Apples (1kg)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

146.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

Wine (Bottle)

$24.63 $24.63

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

10.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

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

$354 $354

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

347.18%

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

$138 $138

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

2032.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 $59.0

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

217.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.2 $90.2

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

82.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

128.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 $1,778

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

58.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 $1,509

$671 Rp 12.2M

124.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,525 $3,525

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

-1.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 $3,533

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

105.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

300.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,147 $6,147

$164 Rp 3.0M

3651.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-63.72%

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

Last update for Cruz Bay: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Groceries & Markets

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Eating Out

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Getting Around

Cruz Bay

–

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,778 in Cruz Bay and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cruz Bay pays about 38 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in Cruz Bay vs $36 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $288, with Cruz Bay cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇻🇮 Cruz Bay

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

05:10 5:10 AM

12 h ahead of Cruz Bay

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,743

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cruz Bay Ubud, Bali 18,920 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Cruz Bay
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,911 in Cruz Bay and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, so Ubud, Bali is about 54% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Cruz Bay is about 38 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: $1,778 in Cruz Bay 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 $94 in Cruz Bay. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,911 per month in Cruz Bay versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 54% 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, Cruz Bay 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, Cruz Bay on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.