Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Lhasa and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $694 in Lhasa versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,124 in Lhasa versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,555 in Lhasa versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Lhasa costs roughly 50% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lhasa is 48% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 ¥24.17

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.42 ¥185

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

-15.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.13 ¥48.17

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

42.32%

Cappuccino

$3.08 ¥20.80

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

9.22%

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

$0.41 ¥2.75

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-69.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ¥2.27

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

-53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 ¥8.37

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-57.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ¥11.67

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

-56.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 ¥13.98

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

16.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥11.75

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

-28.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 ¥5.39

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

-30.43%

Eggs

$2.39 ¥16.17

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

-0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.63 ¥44.78

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

-53.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ¥18.37

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

-35.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.19 ¥68.8

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

-15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.13 ¥14.41

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

-41.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 ¥11.34

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ¥9.17

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

-51.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.16

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-66.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.67 ¥4.51

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

-66.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.12

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-60.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ¥4.10

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

-41.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥4.98

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 ¥20.52

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

-4.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.91 ¥80.5

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

-49.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ¥5.02

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

-74.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.11

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

-40.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 ¥1.96

$0.27 Rp 4,821

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.41 ¥111

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

96.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 ¥9.53

$0.45 Rp 8,180

213.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$0.46 Rp 8,311

-43.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ¥44.85

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

9.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 ¥8.79

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

51.16%

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

$19.6K ¥132.6K

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

-26.16%

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

$16.7K ¥112.9K

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

-48.63%

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

$46.23 ¥312

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

-41.50%

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

$9.89 ¥66.8

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

141.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.39 ¥104

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

-35.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.28 ¥279

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-58.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.06 ¥95.0

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

121.42%

Cinema Ticket

$7.61 ¥51.4

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

89.78%

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

$331 ¥2,239

$297 Rp 5.4M

11.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ¥114.0K

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

155.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.97 ¥202

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

-43.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 ¥204

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

-20.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 ¥474

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-20.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.38 ¥307

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-40.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 ¥1,879

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-72.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 ¥1,247

$680 Rp 12.3M

-72.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 ¥3,997

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

-82.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$363 ¥2,455

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

-82.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,181 ¥21.5K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

16.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,938 ¥13.1K

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

-15.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 ¥13.8K

$164 Rp 3.0M

1144.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.87

13.28

-70.86%

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

Last update for Lhasa: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Lhasa and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 1145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $27.00 in Lhasa vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $298 per month, with Lhasa cheaper across the board.

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

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

Lhasa and Ubud, Bali differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($694 vs $1,392 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1145% higher in Lhasa, 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: $278 in Lhasa versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $694 in Lhasa versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa 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, Lhasa 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 Lhasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.