Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helena, MT and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $3,107 in Helena, MT, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Helena, MT
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Helena, MT Living Index
66

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

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Helena, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,107

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,107 in Helena, MT versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Helena, MT $3,107
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,494 in Helena, MT versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Helena, MT $4,494
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,882 in Helena, MT versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Helena, MT $5,882
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Helena, MT is roughly 130% 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: Helena, MT 132% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 $21.52

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

546.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

186.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.96 $17.96

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

211.81%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

89.73%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

27.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

123.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

81.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

51.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

-30.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

68.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

264.75%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

75.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

-0.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.78 $8.78

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

127.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

67.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

26.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

20.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

99.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

99.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

18.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-35.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.52 Rp 9,373

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.39 $10.39

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

376.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

-44.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

-29.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

-17.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 $3.58

$0.24 Rp 4,255

1391.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

746.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.03 $10.03

$0.44 Rp 7,876

2179.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 $3.33

$0.42 Rp 7,582

692.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.80 $44.80

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

722.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

17.86%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

48.24%

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

$31.1K $31.1K

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

-2.49%

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

$369 $369

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

356.74%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

935.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.0 $93.0

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

409.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 $52.0

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

-5.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.90 $14.90

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

-19.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

187.50%

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

$1,962 $1,962

$486 Rp 8.7M

304.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

386.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

44.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$120 $120

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

247.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

2.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

56.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,756 $1,756

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

55.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,547 $1,547

$674 Rp 12.1M

129.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-18.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

41.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,548 $3,548

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

25.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,944 $2,944

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

27.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,710 $6,710

$166 Rp 3.0M

3949.97%

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 Helena, MT: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Helena, MT

$1.5K 49.1%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 56.4% $873

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helena, MT

$530 16.8%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 80.1% $425

Groceries & Markets

Helena, MT

$384 12.2%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 24.5% $94

Eating Out

Helena, MT

$340 10.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 68.2% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Helena, MT

$175 5.5%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 39% $68

Getting Around

Helena, MT

$100 3.2%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 89.5% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Helena, MT

$76 2.4%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 16.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,756 in Helena, MT and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helena, MT pays 3950% 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: $101 in Helena, MT vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Helena, MT

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

18:40 6:40 PM

14 h ahead of Helena, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,091

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Helena, MT Ubud, Bali 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Helena, MT
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

Helena, MT vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Helena, MT and Ubud, Bali differ by about 130% in total monthly costs ($3,107 vs $1,348 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3950% higher in Helena, MT, 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: $1,756 in Helena, MT versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,962 in Helena, MT versus $486 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Helena, MT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,107 in Helena, MT, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Helena, MT. 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, Helena, MT 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 130% less than in Helena, MT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.