Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mechelen and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,050 in Mechelen, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Mechelen
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Mechelen Living Index
67

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

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Mechelen

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,050

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,050 in Mechelen versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Mechelen $2,050
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,141 in Mechelen versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Mechelen $3,141
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,232 in Mechelen versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Mechelen $4,232
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Mechelen is roughly 50% 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: Mechelen 52% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.22 €19.84

$3.33 Rp 59.7K

567.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 €94.6

$35.18 Rp 630.5K

201.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 €11.78

$5.80 Rp 104.0K

127.59%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.71

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

52.38%

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

$3.49 €3.12

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

112.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 €2.63

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

255.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 €4.95

$2.70 Rp 48.4K

105.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 €4.97

$4.30 Rp 77.0K

29.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 €2.49

$2.30 Rp 41.2K

21.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

80.51%

Eggs

$3.62 €3.23

$2.14 Rp 38.4K

69.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 €15.18

$17.48 Rp 313.3K

-2.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.76 €10.49

$4.03 Rp 72.2K

191.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.68 €17.56

$12.23 Rp 219.2K

60.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$3.55 Rp 63.6K

-23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$2.42 €2.16

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

54.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.23

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

11.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.50

$1.93 Rp 34.6K

45.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.88 Rp 33.8K

11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.67

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

-18.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 €1.21

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$0.53 Rp 9,435

92.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.15 €11.74

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

476.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.84 €7.89

$23.01 Rp 412.5K

-61.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 €1.54

$2.34 Rp 42.0K

-26.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.94

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.41 €3.04

$0.24 Rp 4,297

1320.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.1 €49.14

$8.82 Rp 158.1K

524.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.44 €4.85

$0.48 Rp 8,648

1033.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 €2.34

$0.46 Rp 8,198

469.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.75 €39.05

$5.45 Rp 97.8K

702.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

129.55%

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

$35.3K €31.5K

$24.6K Rp 440.4M

43.84%

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

$34.0K €30.4K

$31.2K Rp 559.0M

9.08%

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

$204 €182

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

145.39%

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

$21.82 €19.47

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

238.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.94 €41.90

$18.57 Rp 332.8K

152.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.65 €26.46

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-46.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.64 €12.18

$18.11 Rp 324.6K

-24.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 €13.34

$4.38 Rp 78.6K

241.32%

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

$554 €494

$493 Rp 8.8M

12.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.4K €19.1K

$5,754 Rp 103.1M

272.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 €94.2

$46.19 Rp 828.0K

128.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.11 €43.83

$35.33 Rp 633.3K

39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €97.2

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

37.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €131

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

87.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €827

$1,142 Rp 20.5M

-18.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 €688

$676 Rp 12.1M

14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 €1,282

$3,503 Rp 62.8M

-58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 €1,077

$1,700 Rp 30.5M

-29.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 €4,460

$2,784 Rp 49.9M

79.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,620 €3,231

$2,241 Rp 40.2M

61.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,172 €1,939

$165 Rp 2.9M

1220.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.46

13.78

-74.89%

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

Last update for Mechelen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mechelen

$771 37.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 12.4% $96

Groceries & Markets

Mechelen

$342 16.7%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 15.1% $52

Eating Out

Mechelen

$332 16.2%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 67.2% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mechelen

$272 13.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 60.4% $164

Clothing & Footwear

Mechelen

$185 9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 41.8% $77

Getting Around

Mechelen

$87 4.3%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 85.6% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Mechelen

$60 2.9%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 8.5% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Mechelen and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mechelen pays 1220% 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: $106 in Mechelen vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Mechelen

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

13:14 1:14 PM

6 h ahead of Mechelen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

80,000

74,800

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100,000 IDR = 5.58 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 17,925 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.58 USD). 1 EUR = 20,059 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Between locations

Mechelen Ubud, Bali 12,190 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mechelen
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

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

Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 50% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1220% higher in Mechelen, 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: $927 in Mechelen versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 524% less than in Mechelen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $554 in Mechelen versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,050 in Mechelen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Mechelen. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mechelen, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Mechelen 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 50% less than in Mechelen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.