Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paterson, NJ and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,812 in Paterson, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index
66

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

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Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,812

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,812 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $2,812
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,186 in Paterson, NJ versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $4,186
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,560 in Paterson, NJ versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $5,560
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Paterson, NJ is roughly 109% 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: Paterson, NJ 110% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.65 $18.65

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

460.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$35.42 Rp 633.3K

122.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.23 $14.23

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

147.05%

Cappuccino

$6.39 $6.39

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

142.97%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

67.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

276.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 $8.55

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

215.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

52.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

98.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

403.28%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

189.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$17.73 Rp 317.0K

-21.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

169.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

55.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

70.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

42.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.32 Rp 41.5K

79.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

161.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

66.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

30.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

182.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.52 Rp 9,375

376.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.28 $17.28

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

692.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$22.98 Rp 410.8K

-35.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

-23.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

18.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,256

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.44 Rp 7,877

565.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.42 Rp 7,584

411.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.80 $42.80

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

685.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

36.90%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$24.3K Rp 434.9M

43.29%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$31.9K Rp 570.1M

-19.28%

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

$172 $172

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

113.18%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

662.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.09 $49.09

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

169.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 331.0K

Cinema Ticket

$20.10 $20.10

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

374.06%

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

$1,988 $1,988

$486 Rp 8.7M

309.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

186.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$45.18 Rp 807.8K

11.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.0 $54.0

$34.57 Rp 618.1K

56.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

39.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

32.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,519 $2,519

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

123.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 $1,489

$674 Rp 12.1M

120.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,522 $3,522

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-2.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,721 $2,721

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

56.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,242 $3,242

$166 Rp 3.0M

1856.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

13.78

-50.65%

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

Last update for Paterson, NJ: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54.2%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 54.7% $815

Groceries & Markets

Paterson, NJ

$444 16.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 34.6% $154

Eating Out

Paterson, NJ

$348 12.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 69% $240

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paterson, NJ

$272 9.9%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 61.1% $166

Clothing & Footwear

Paterson, NJ

$143 5.2%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 25.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Paterson, NJ

$40 * 1.5%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 58.3% $23

Getting Around

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 23.2% $3.2

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 $2,519 in Paterson, NJ and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paterson, NJ pays 1857% 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: $79.0 in Paterson, NJ vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

15:11 3:11 PM

12 h ahead of Paterson, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,000

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 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 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 17,879 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,035 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

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Paterson, NJ Ubud, Bali 16,290 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Paterson, NJ
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

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

Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1857% higher in Paterson, NJ, 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: $2,519 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,988 in Paterson, NJ versus $486 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 Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $79.0 in Paterson, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,812 in Paterson, NJ, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Paterson, NJ. 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 Paterson, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Paterson, NJ 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 109% less than in Paterson, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.