Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Johnson City, TN, United States
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Johnson City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,138
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,138 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $2,138
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $3,133 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $3,133
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $4,129 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $4,129
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Johnson City, TN costs about 59% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.78 $13.78
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
315.06%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.9 $53.9
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
51.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
78.66%
Cappuccino
$5.14 $5.14
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
88.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
69.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
167.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.93 $4.93
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
86.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.04 $6.04
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
37.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-34.23%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
64.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.97 $3.97
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
233.61%
Eggs
$3.11 $3.11
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
52.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.53 $7.53
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-57.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.67 $13.67
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
245.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.09 $13.09
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
7.38%
Apples (1kg)
$7.59 $7.59
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
107.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
13.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.10 $4.10
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
83.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.65 $3.65
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
85.28%
Potato (1kg)
$3.40 $3.40
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
83.78%
Onion (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
79.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
122.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.51 Rp 9,332
362.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
305.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.14 $13.14
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-40.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.61 $1.61
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-28.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
48.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 $0.97
$0.25 Rp 4,562
288.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.13 $25.13
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
221.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.58 $5.58
$0.44 Rp 7,989
1168.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.44 $1.44
$0.43 Rp 7,817
234.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.19 $15.19
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
180.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 $0.83
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
1.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K $30.0K
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
25.84%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-22.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 $172
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
117.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.9 $51.9
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
704.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.5 $62.5
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
236.17%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.20 $47.20
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-4.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.14 $20.14
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
14.11%
Cinema Ticket
$11.88 $11.88
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
178.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,185 $1,185
$491 Rp 8.9M
141.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K $14.6K
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
157.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$37.41 $37.41
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-16.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.80 $30.80
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-11.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 $87.4
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
9.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.4 $94.4
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
18.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,178 $1,178
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
4.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$980 $980
$671 Rp 12.2M
45.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,992 $1,992
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-44.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 $1,616
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-6.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,444 $2,444
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-10.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,033 $2,033
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-11.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Johnson City, TN
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,584 $3,584
$164 Rp 3.0M
2087.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
13.78
-52.90%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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
Johnson City, TN
$980
Ubud, Bali
$672 31.5% $309
Groceries & Markets
Johnson City, TN
$388
Ubud, Bali
$288 25.6% $99
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johnson City, TN
$287
Ubud, Bali
$104 63.7% $182
Eating Out
Johnson City, TN
$258
Ubud, Bali
$108 58.3% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Johnson City, TN
$113
Ubud, Bali
$108 4.5% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Johnson City, TN
$71
Ubud, Bali
$58 18.2% $13
Getting Around
Johnson City, TN
$42
Ubud, Bali
$11 72.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,178 in Johnson City, TN 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.

Salaries in Johnson City, TN are about 22 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $388 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
18:24 6:24 PM
06:24 6:24 AM
12 h ahead of Johnson City, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,027
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Johnson City, TN Ubud, Bali 16,450 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Johnson City, TN
  • 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
Johnson City, TN vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Johnson City, TN?
Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,207 per month in Johnson City, TN and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Johnson City, TN and Ubud, Bali?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,178 in Johnson City, TN and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Johnson City, TN or in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $54 in Johnson City, TN and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Johnson City, TN and in Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,138 in Johnson City, TN and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Ubud, Bali about 37% cheaper.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Johnson City, TN or in Ubud, Bali?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,138 in Johnson City, TN and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Johnson City, TN or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Johnson City, TN or Ubud, Bali?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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