Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaithersburg, MD and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
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Gaithersburg, MD Living Index
65

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

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Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Gaithersburg, MD $2,884
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,097 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Gaithersburg, MD $4,097
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,309 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Gaithersburg, MD $5,309
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Gaithersburg, MD is roughly 114% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

490.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

150.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 $6.85

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

23.87%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

113.97%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

62.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

227.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

200.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.60 $8.60

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

96.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-18.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

91.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

352.94%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

150.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.57 $17.57

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-0.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

298.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.04 $19.04

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

56.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

13.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

113.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

167.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

62.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

111.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.51 Rp 9,303

401.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.36 $13.36

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

501.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-33.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

-5.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,548

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$0.44 Rp 7,964

825.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.43 Rp 7,793

183.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.06 $25.06

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

363.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

19.51%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

14.67%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-17.55%

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

$161 $161

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

103.30%

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

$51.1 $51.1

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

692.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

227.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 $32.27

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

-34.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 $16.91

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

296.02%

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

$1,834 $1,834

$491 Rp 8.9M

273.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

535.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

23.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.73 $35.73

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

2.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

53.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,803 $1,803

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

60.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$671 Rp 12.2M

139.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

-31.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,354 $2,354

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

36.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,452 $2,452

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-10.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,566 $2,566

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

12.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,307 $5,307

$164 Rp 3.0M

3139.31%

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 Gaithersburg, MD: 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

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.7%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 58.2% $934

Groceries & Markets

Gaithersburg, MD

$462 16%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 37.6% $174

Eating Out

Gaithersburg, MD

$325 11.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 66.9% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaithersburg, MD

$273 9.5%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 61.8% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Gaithersburg, MD

$141 4.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 23.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 12.2% $8.1

Getting Around

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 12.4% $1.3

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 $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gaithersburg, MD pays about 32 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Gaithersburg, MD vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

13 h ahead of Gaithersburg, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,657

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 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 = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Gaithersburg, MD Ubud, Bali 16,390 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Gaithersburg, MD
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, so Ubud, Bali is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Gaithersburg, MD is about 32 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: $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,834 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $89 in Gaithersburg, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Gaithersburg, MD on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.