Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medan and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Medan: $613 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Medan
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Medan Living Index
67

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

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Medan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$613

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $613 in Medan versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Medan $613
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $940 in Medan versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Medan $940
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,266 in Medan versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Medan $1,266
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Medan costs roughly 55% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medan is 55% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.71 Rp 30.8K

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.30 Rp 149.4K

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-76.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-49.14%

Cappuccino

$1.53 Rp 27.5K

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-43.96%

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

$0.35 Rp 6,215

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-78.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,534

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 Rp 29.9K

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-38.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-16.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-26.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-48.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-31.36%

Eggs

$1.32 Rp 23.8K

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-38.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 Rp 146.2K

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-53.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 Rp 64.6K

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-10.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 Rp 114.5K

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-48.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.1K

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-32.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-33.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 Rp 25.5K

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-36.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 Rp 16.7K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-51.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-55.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.3K

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-21.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 Rp 6,905

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-61.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,872

$0.53 Rp 9,475

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 Rp 51.7K

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

25.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.72 Rp 282.9K

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 Rp 32.9K

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-21.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 Rp 54.1K

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

3.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.24 Rp 4,315

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.93 Rp 106.7K

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

-32.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 Rp 9,186

$0.48 Rp 8,684

6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.19 Rp 3,465

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-58.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-9.09%

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

$24.7K Rp 444.1M

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

0.42%

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

$32.2K Rp 579.9M

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

3.29%

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

$84.8 Rp 1.5M

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

2.20%

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

$3.17 Rp 57.0K

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

-50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.57 Rp 424.3K

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

26.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.95 Rp 305.0K

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-69.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.41 Rp 151.5K

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-53.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.29 Rp 59.3K

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

-24.89%

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

$112 Rp 2.0M

$493 Rp 8.9M

-77.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,692 Rp 30.5M

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

-70.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 975.9K

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

17.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.53 Rp 693.6K

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

9.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 Rp 1.9M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

36.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 Rp 2.0M

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

41.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$233 Rp 4.2M

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-79.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.8 Rp 1.6M

$676 Rp 12.2M

-86.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$494 Rp 8.9M

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-85.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$212 Rp 3.8M

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-87.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,158 Rp 20.8M

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-58.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$560 Rp 10.1M

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-75.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$165 Rp 3.0M

30.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.25

13.78

-32.87%

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

Last update for Medan: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Medan

$181 29.5%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 60.6% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Medan

$140 22.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 23.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medan

$112 18.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 3.2% $3.5

Accommodation & Living

Medan

$90 14.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 653% $586

Eating Out

Medan

$59 9.6%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 85.3% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Medan

$24 3.8%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 175% $41

Getting Around

Medan

$8.5 1.4%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 48.2% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $233 in Medan and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medan pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $8.00 in Medan vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $181 vs $290 per month, with Medan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Medan

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

1 h ahead of Medan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,097,610

74,800

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Medan Ubud, Bali 2,280 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medan
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

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

Medan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 123% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 31% higher in Medan, 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: $233 in Medan 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 Medan runs roughly 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $112 in Medan versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $613 in Medan versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Medan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medan 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 Medan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.