Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Nido and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in El Nido: $739 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in El Nido
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El Nido Living Index
66

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

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El Nido

🇵🇭 Philippines

$739

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $739 per month in El Nido vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Nido $739
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $1,148 per month in El Nido vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Nido $1,148
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $1,557 per month in El Nido vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

El Nido $1,557
Ubud, Bali $3,241

El Nido is about 45% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Nido sits 45% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.84 ₱305

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

49.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.13 ₱1,771

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-19.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.70 ₱233

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-35.09%

Cappuccino

$2.25 ₱142

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-14.12%

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

$1.17 ₱73.8

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-31.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₱20.45

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-60.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 ₱81.8

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-50.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ₱125

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-54.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ₱100

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

1.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₱63.1

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-54.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ₱81.4

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

9.32%

Eggs

$1.95 ₱123

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.33 ₱336

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-69.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 ₱250

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.98 ₱439

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-41.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ₱142

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 ₱97.1

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 ₱142

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-2.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 ₱72.8

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-39.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 ₱123

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

9.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 ₱127

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₱58.0

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-8.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.65

$0.53 Rp 9,509

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.35 ₱211

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

46.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.24 ₱456

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-67.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 ₱62.9

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-57.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₱118

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-37.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 ₱15.07

$0.23 Rp 4,112

4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.28 ₱648

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

15.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.85 ₱53.8

$0.47 Rp 8,466

80.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.20 ₱12.47

$0.43 Rp 7,737

-53.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.72 ₱108

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

-68.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.3

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

57.83%

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

$19.2K ₱1.2M

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-19.66%

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

$21.6K ₱1.4M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-34.13%

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

$121 ₱7,638

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

51.66%

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

$14.38 ₱906

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

119.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.44 ₱1,539

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

31.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.90 ₱2,197

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-35.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.99 ₱251

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-78.17%

Cinema Ticket

$5.23 ₱329

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

23.06%

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

$124 ₱7,818

$493 Rp 8.9M

-74.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,869 ₱432.4K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

22.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.86 ₱2,132

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-25.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.81 ₱1,185

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 ₱4,211

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-13.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.95 ₱3,145

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-36.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 ₱17.0K

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-76.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₱11.2K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-73.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 ₱33.7K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-85.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ₱22.5K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-78.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 ₱164.1K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-4.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$900 ₱56.7K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-59.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 ₱16.2K

$166 Rp 3.0M

54.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.78

-50.73%

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

Last update for El Nido: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Nido

$177 24%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 280% $496

Groceries & Markets

El Nido

$174 23.6%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 64.9% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Nido

$160 21.7%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 34.3% $55

Eating Out

El Nido

$93 12.6%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 14.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

El Nido

$76 10.3%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 39.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

El Nido

$45 6.1%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 38.1% $17

Getting Around

El Nido

$13 1.8%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 5% $0.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $269 in El Nido versus $1,131 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 54% higher in El Nido, 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 $28.00 in El Nido versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $287 – making El Nido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇭 El Nido

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

19:39 7:39 PM

Same time as El Nido

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

50,494

74,800

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

El Nido Ubud, Bali 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $739 in El Nido, $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 83% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,109 per month in El Nido and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Nido, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 16% less in El Nido. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $124 per month in El Nido and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Nido, where all-in costs run around $739, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In El Nido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $739 in El Nido to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 El Nido. 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.