Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norfolk, VA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,428 in Norfolk, VA, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Norfolk, VA
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Norfolk, VA Living Index
67

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

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Norfolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,428 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Norfolk, VA $2,428
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,629 in Norfolk, VA versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Norfolk, VA $3,629
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,829 in Norfolk, VA versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Norfolk, VA $4,829
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Norfolk, VA is roughly 78% 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: Norfolk, VA 80% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.58 $18.58

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

457.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 $91.0

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

158.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 $11.54

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

98.97%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

116.12%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

150.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

128.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

64.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-34.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

71.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

366.10%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

122.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

141.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

46.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

36.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-20.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

121.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

195.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

19.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

57.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.53 Rp 9,475

301.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 $9.25

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

305.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.24 Rp 4,315

720.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

1075.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$0.48 Rp 8,684

870.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.46 Rp 8,233

191.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.09 $18.09

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

231.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

12.50%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

42.95%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-18.13%

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

$213 $213

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

156.91%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

771.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

260.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 $40.15

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-28.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-1.93%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

168.72%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$493 Rp 8.9M

200.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

176.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

17.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.10 $48.10

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

36.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

53.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 $1,233

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$676 Rp 12.2M

52.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-0.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 $2,458

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-11.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 $2,304

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

2.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,423 $3,423

$165 Rp 3.0M

1980.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

13.78

-52.32%

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

Last update for Norfolk, VA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Norfolk, VA

$1K 42.5%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 34.6% $357

Groceries & Markets

Norfolk, VA

$412 17%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 29.5% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norfolk, VA

$336 13.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 67.9% $228

Eating Out

Norfolk, VA

$319 13.1%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 65.8% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Norfolk, VA

$142 5.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 24.2% $34

Getting Around

Norfolk, VA

$123 5.1%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 89.8% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Norfolk, VA

$64 2.6%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 1.4% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

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

Norfolk, VA pays 1980% 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: $91.0 in Norfolk, VA vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Norfolk, VA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

12 h ahead of Norfolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,803

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Norfolk, VA Ubud, Bali 16,650 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Norfolk, VA
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

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

Norfolk, VA and Ubud, Bali differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($2,428 vs $1,368 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1980% higher in Norfolk, VA, 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: $1,233 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,480 in Norfolk, VA versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Norfolk, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,428 in Norfolk, VA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Norfolk, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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, Norfolk, VA 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 78% less than in Norfolk, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.