Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lae and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Lae: $817 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Lae

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea

$817

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $817 per month in Lae vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Lae $817
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,470 per month in Lae vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Lae $1,470
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $2,123 per month in Lae vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Lae $2,123
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Lae is about 39% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.60 PGK 103

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

610.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.5 PGK 219

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

41.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

Cappuccino

$2.66 PGK 11.57

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

-2.21%

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

$0.74 PGK 3.23

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

-56.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 PGK 2.47

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.22 PGK 14.01

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 PGK 22.13

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 PGK 8.62

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

32.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 PGK 6.28

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

-36.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 PGK 5.39

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

4.20%

Eggs

$3.96 PGK 17.18

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

94.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 PGK 40.86

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-46.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.06 PGK 39.35

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

128.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 PGK 45.99

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

-13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 PGK 18.67

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

17.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.69 PGK 11.68

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

76.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.87 PGK 25.50

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

163.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 PGK 6.53

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 PGK 14.62

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

82.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 PGK 10.14

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 PGK 2.80

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-35.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 PGK 3.70

$0.51 Rp 9,255

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.75 PGK 29.32

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

204.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 PGK 53.2

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 PGK 11.27

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 PGK 18.87

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

46.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 PGK 1.37

$0.25 Rp 4,525

24.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,923

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,753

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 PGK 4.46

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

25.61%

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

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

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

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

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

$491 Rp 8.8M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 PGK 1,892

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

-61.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 PGK 1,131

$671 Rp 12.1M

-61.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 PGK 5,328

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-65.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 PGK 2,690

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

-64.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$156 PGK 676

$164 Rp 3.0M

-5.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Lae: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Groceries & Markets

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Eating Out

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Getting Around

Lae

–

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $436 in Lae 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 run about 5% higher in Ubud, Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Lae versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇬 Lae

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

2 h behind Lae

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,948

74,800

💱 Currency

Papua New Guinean Kina PGK K

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 PGK = 0.23 USD

1 PGK = 0.207 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇬 Papua New Guinean Kina (K)

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.83 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to PGK in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lae Ubud, Bali 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lae
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 65% more than Lae, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,225 per month in Lae and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lae, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $817 in Lae and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a gap of about 65%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Ubud, Bali – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $817 in Lae and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $817 in Lae to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lae. 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.