Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Karakol and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $438 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Karakol
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan
$438
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $438 in Karakol versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Karakol $438
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $649 in Karakol versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Karakol $649
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $859 in Karakol versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Karakol $859
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Karakol costs roughly 68% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Karakol is 68% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.24 KGS 196
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
-30.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.34 KGS 817
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
-73.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
-
Cappuccino
$1.74 KGS 152
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
-33.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 KGS 50.9
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
-66.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.28 KGS 24.12
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
-65.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.17 KGS 102
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
-55.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 KGS 146
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
-61.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 KGS 66.3
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-51.59%
White Bread (500g)
$0.24 KGS 21.06
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
-89.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 KGS 123
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
18.64%
Eggs
$1.67 KGS 146
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
-22.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.82 KGS 597
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-61.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.12 KGS 360
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
8.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.58 KGS 488
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-53.31%
Apples (1kg)
$0.81 KGS 71.2
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
-77.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.39 KGS 121
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
-12.58%
Oranges (1kg)
-
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.12 KGS 97.7
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
-41.36%
Potato (1kg)
$0.54 KGS 47.59
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
-69.66%
Onion (1kg)
-
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.35 KGS 30.90
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
-65.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 KGS 51.0
$0.53 Rp 9,509
9.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.75 KGS 153
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-23.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.28 KGS 462
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
-76.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 KGS 97.0
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
-52.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 KGS 195
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
-25.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.18 KGS 15.65
$0.23 Rp 4,112
-21.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.30 KGS 114
$0.47 Rp 8,466
176.60%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$0.43 Rp 7,737
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 KGS 91.1
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
25.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.47 KGS 3,453
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
-50.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.24 KGS 371
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
-35.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$9.56 KGS 836
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
-48.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$15.34 KGS 1,342
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
-71.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$91.0 KGS 7,958
$493 Rp 8.9M
-81.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.69 KGS 2,947
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
-57.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$228 KGS 19.9K
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
-79.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$172 KGS 15.0K
$673 Rp 12.1M
-74.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$283 KGS 24.8K
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-92.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$291 KGS 25.4K
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
-82.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Karakol
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
13.78
-

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

Last update for Karakol: 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
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$673
Groceries & Markets
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$287
Clothing & Footwear
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$107
Eating Out
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$106
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$105
Sport & Entertainment
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$63
Getting Around
Karakol
–
Ubud, Bali
$12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $228 in Karakol and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $9.00 in Karakol vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $129 vs $287 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇬 Karakol
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
20:24 8:24 PM
22:24 10:24 PM
2 h ahead of Karakol
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,400
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to KGS – Kyrgyzstani Som Converter

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Karakol Ubud, Bali 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Karakol
  • 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
Karakol vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Karakol and in Ubud, Bali?
Karakol and Ubud, Bali differ by about 209% in total monthly costs ($438 vs $1,353 including rent). Karakol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Karakol compared to Ubud, Bali?
You'd need roughly $657 in Karakol and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Karakol and in Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $228 in Karakol versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Karakol or Ubud, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $438 per month in Karakol versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $438 in Karakol versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karakol but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Karakol the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Karakol and Ubud, Bali?
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.
Is Karakol or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Karakol 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.
Where should expats move: Karakol or Ubud, Bali?
Expats usually find Karakol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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