Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Centro, CA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,700 in El Centro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index
65

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

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El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,700 per month in El Centro, CA vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Centro, CA $2,700
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $3,848 per month in El Centro, CA vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Centro, CA $3,848
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $4,996 per month in El Centro, CA vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Centro, CA $4,996
Ubud, Bali $3,261

El Centro, CA costs about 100% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 $13.62

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

310.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 $44.97

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

26.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 $11.39

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

105.97%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

79.78%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

49.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

157.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

84.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

81.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-22.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

157.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

267.23%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

140.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-28.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

414.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

50.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

91.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

241.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

96.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

43.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

130.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$0.51 Rp 9,255

352.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

424.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-33.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

-24.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.25 Rp 4,525

804.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 $58.6

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

648.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 $4.46

$0.44 Rp 7,923

913.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.43 Rp 7,753

337.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 $35.36

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

553.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

86.59%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

14.95%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

-18.17%

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

$216 $216

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

172.75%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

1017.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

279.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 $34.32

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

178.69%

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

$1,895 $1,895

$491 Rp 8.8M

286.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

654.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

62.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 $40.38

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

15.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

117.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$671 Rp 12.1M

93.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-36.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 $2,076

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

20.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,709 $2,709

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

-0.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

16.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

13.78

-51.81%

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

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 48.4% $629

Groceries & Markets

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 39.5% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 70.9% $254

Eating Out

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 58.6% $152

Clothing & Footwear

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 34.6% $57

Getting Around

El Centro, CA

$81 3%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 86% $70

Sport & Entertainment

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 0.2% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,401 in El Centro, CA versus $1,125 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in El Centro, CA versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $477 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

04:59 4:59 AM

19:59 7:59 PM

15 h ahead of El Centro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,322

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 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 = 0.899 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

El Centro, CA Ubud, Bali 14,150 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

El Centro, 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

El Centro, CA vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,700 in El Centro, CA, $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,049 per month in El Centro, CA and $2,023 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $1,401 in El Centro, CA.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,895 per month in El Centro, CA and $491 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,700 in El Centro, CA and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – 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.

For expats, Ubud, Bali is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 100% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.