Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Lansing, MI and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index
67

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

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East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in East Lansing, MI versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

East Lansing, MI $2,318
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in East Lansing, MI versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

East Lansing, MI $3,429
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in East Lansing, MI versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

East Lansing, MI $4,540
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in East Lansing, MI is roughly 69% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: East Lansing, MI 72% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 $16.62

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

399.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

109.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

110.52%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

91.94%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

165.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

82.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 $6.47

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

50.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-44.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

26.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

338.98%

Eggs

$2.75 $2.75

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

28.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-37.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

316.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

35.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

47.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

201.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

87.05%

Potato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

209.04%

Onion (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

147.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

117.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$0.53 Rp 9,475

647.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.58 $9.58

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

320.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 $16.14

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-29.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-47.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.24 Rp 4,315

566.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 $50.5

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

472.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 $9.80

$0.48 Rp 8,684

1941.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 $3.20

$0.46 Rp 8,233

595.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

82.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

10.23%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

40.36%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-17.22%

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

$173 $173

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

107.83%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

737.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

239.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 $36.22

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 $15.24

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-15.85%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

155.94%

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

$645 $645

$493 Rp 8.9M

30.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

90.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

17.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 $37.29

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

5.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-12.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 $85.0

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

8.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 $1,231

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

7.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 $1,041

$676 Rp 12.2M

54.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-41.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-0.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 $2,070

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-25.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-28.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,117 $6,117

$165 Rp 3.0M

3617.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

13.78

-52.39%

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

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 35.1% $366

Groceries & Markets

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 34.9% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 62.7% $182

Eating Out

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 62.3% $180

Clothing & Footwear

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 2.6% $2.9

Getting Around

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 84.8% $70

Sport & Entertainment

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 10.1% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in East Lansing, MI and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 3617% 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: $74.0 in East Lansing, MI vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

16:50 4:50 PM

12 h ahead of East Lansing, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,741

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

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East Lansing, MI Ubud, Bali 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

East Lansing, MI
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

East Lansing, MI vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Lansing, MI and Ubud, Bali differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($2,318 vs $1,368 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3617% higher in East Lansing, MI, 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: $1,231 in East Lansing, MI versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,318 per month in East Lansing, MI versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 473% less than in East Lansing, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in East Lansing, MI. 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, East Lansing, MI 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 69% less than in East Lansing, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.