Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palembang and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Palembang
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Palembang Living Index
67

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

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Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$615

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $615 in Palembang versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Palembang $615
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $980 in Palembang versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Palembang $980
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,344 in Palembang versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Palembang $1,344
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Palembang 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: Palembang is 54% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-65.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.00 Rp 287.9K

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-54.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-51.38%

Cappuccino

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-52.75%

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

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-48.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 Rp 4,503

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-69.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-37.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 Rp 58.9K

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-23.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-30.51%

Eggs

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-42.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.24 Rp 130.4K

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-58.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-25.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 Rp 133.9K

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-39.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-36.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-34.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-29.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-37.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-14.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-34.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,856

$0.53 Rp 9,475

-16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-3.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.49 Rp 386.7K

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 Rp 52.9K

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

1.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 Rp 7,878

$0.24 Rp 4,315

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.53 Rp 9,526

$0.48 Rp 8,684

10.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,284

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 Rp 51.2K

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-47.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-6.82%

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

$23.2K Rp 417.8M

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

-5.52%

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

$31.6K Rp 568.7M

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

1.31%

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

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-13.78%

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

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

-31.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.20 Rp 345.5K

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

3.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 Rp 355.0K

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-64.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.99 Rp 143.8K

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-55.88%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

-34.93%

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

$90.1 Rp 1.6M

$493 Rp 8.9M

-81.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,423 Rp 151.6M

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

46.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

-7.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.77 Rp 517.8K

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-18.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-5.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$230 Rp 4.1M

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-79.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.6M

$676 Rp 12.2M

-78.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 Rp 9.6M

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-84.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 Rp 6.5M

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-78.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,254 Rp 22.6M

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-54.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$886 Rp 15.9M

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-60.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$309 Rp 5.6M

$165 Rp 3.0M

87.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.46

13.78

-31.35%

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

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Palembang

$194 31.5%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 49.7% $96

Accommodation & Living

Palembang

$147 23.9%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 359% $528

Clothing & Footwear

Palembang

$97 15.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 10.9% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palembang

$95 15.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 13.5% $13

Eating Out

Palembang

$52 8.5%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 108% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Palembang

$25 4.1%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 154% $39

Getting Around

Palembang

$4.3 * 0.7%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 192% $8.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $230 in Palembang and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palembang pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $16.00 in Palembang vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $290 per month, with Palembang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Palembang

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

14:59 2:59 PM

15:59 3:59 PM

1 h ahead of Palembang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,708,413

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

Palembang Ubud, Bali 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Palembang
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

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

Palembang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Palembang, 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: $230 in Palembang versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.1 in Palembang versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palembang – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $615 in Palembang versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palembang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Palembang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Palembang 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, Palembang 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 Palembang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.