Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
65

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

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,423 in Durham, NC versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham, NC $2,423
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,700 in Durham, NC versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham, NC $3,700
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,978 in Durham, NC versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham, NC $4,978
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 80% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.31 $15.31

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

361.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

197.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 $9.96

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

80.11%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

76.10%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

77.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

176.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

133.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

62.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-24.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

106.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

279.83%

Eggs

$3.45 $3.45

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

69.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.01 $19.01

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

7.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.98 $16.98

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

328.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

54.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

20.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

74.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

132.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

22.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

61.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

177.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.51 Rp 9,313

284.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.57 $8.57

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

286.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.44 Rp 7,972

345.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$0.43 Rp 7,801

39.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

23.17%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

29.62%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

-17.97%

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

$226 $226

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

186.09%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

781.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

284.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 $51.5

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

4.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$12.36 $12.36

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

189.46%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$491 Rp 8.9M

219.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.29 $45.29

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

1.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 $35.33

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

1.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

13.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

68.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,502 $1,502

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

33.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 $1,118

$671 Rp 12.2M

66.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-36.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

14.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,463 $3,463

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

26.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

5.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,786 $4,786

$164 Rp 3.0M

2820.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

13.78

-50.58%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: 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

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 39.9% $446

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$456 18.8%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 36.8% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$355 14.6%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 70.6% $250

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$276 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 60.9% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 21.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3.2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 23.9% $18

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 130% $6.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,502 in Durham, NC and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays about 29 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $106 in Durham, NC vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:05 2:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

13 h ahead of Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Durham, NC Ubud, Bali 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Durham, NC. 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 Durham, NC is about 29 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: $1,502 in Durham, NC versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Durham, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,423 per month in Durham, NC versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 44% 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 work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC 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, Durham, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.