Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuenca and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $989 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index
67

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

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Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $989 per month in Cuenca vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Cuenca $989
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,482 per month in Cuenca vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Cuenca $1,482
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $1,976 per month in Cuenca vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Cuenca $1,976
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Cuenca is about 28% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cuenca sits 27% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 $3.59

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

7.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.50 $29.50

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-16.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.79 $7.79

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

34.31%

Cappuccino

$2.65 $2.65

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-2.93%

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

$0.83 $0.83

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-49.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 $0.71

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-24.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-26.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-32.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-5.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

58.47%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

6.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-59.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

46.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-38.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-42.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-39.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-27.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-18.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-52.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 $0.75

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-24.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.53 Rp 9,475

113.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

132.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.07 $10.07

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-56.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

2.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$0.24 Rp 4,315

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.94 $15.94

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

80.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.48 Rp 8,684

183.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.46 Rp 8,233

132.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.83 $10.83

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

98.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-1.14%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

-0.25%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-4.96%

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

$39.83 $39.83

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-52.02%

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

$13.33 $13.33

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

106.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.61 $26.61

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

43.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.02 $30.02

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-46.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.18 $5.18

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-71.40%

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 $7.22

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

64.84%

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

$227 $227

$493 Rp 8.9M

-54.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,764 $6,764

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

17.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.8 $67.8

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

46.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.84 $46.84

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

32.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 $125

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

58.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.5 $71.5

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-8.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 $529

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-53.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$386 $386

$676 Rp 12.2M

-42.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-79.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$608 $608

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-64.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 $1,221

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-56.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$857 $857

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-61.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$561 $561

$165 Rp 3.0M

240.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

13.78

-19.01%

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

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cuenca

$386 39.1%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 74.9% $289

Groceries & Markets

Cuenca

$208 21%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 39.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Cuenca

$140 14.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 23.2% $32

Eating Out

Cuenca

$107 10.8%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 1.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuenca

$80 8.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 35.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Cuenca

$44 4.5%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 45.3% $20

Getting Around

Cuenca

$24 2.4%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 47.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $529 in Cuenca 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 241% higher in Cuenca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cuenca versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $290 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

01:12 1:12 AM

13 h ahead of Cuenca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,776

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Cuenca Ubud, Bali 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Cuenca
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

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

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,483 per month in Cuenca 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 Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Cuenca and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $989 in Cuenca and $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Cuenca. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.