Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,743 in Paterson, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index
67

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

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Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,743

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/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: $2,743 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $2,743
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,154 in Paterson, NJ versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $4,154
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Paterson, NJ versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Paterson, NJ $5,565
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Paterson, NJ is roughly 101% 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 103% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

464.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

124.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 $13.90

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

139.66%

Cappuccino

$6.31 $6.31

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

131.14%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

71.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

253.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 $8.60

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

218.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

58.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

96.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

405.08%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

179.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-19.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 $10.39

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

157.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

52.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

65.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

94.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

181.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

64.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

32.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

182.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.53 Rp 9,475

384.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.67 $17.67

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

675.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-33.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-20.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

23.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$0.48 Rp 8,684

506.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.46 Rp 8,233

367.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.52 $42.52

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

680.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

30.68%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

46.98%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-20.55%

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

$172 $172

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

107.29%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

703.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.34 $49.34

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

165.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 $20.15

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

360.05%

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

$1,984 $1,984

$493 Rp 8.9M

302.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

177.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

48.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

40.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

117.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$676 Rp 12.2M

119.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 $2,706

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

59.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,166 $3,166

$165 Rp 3.0M

1823.94%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 54.3% $804

Groceries & Markets

Paterson, NJ

$447 16.3%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 35.1% $157

Eating Out

Paterson, NJ

$347 12.7%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 68.7% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paterson, NJ

$273 10%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 60.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Paterson, NJ

$141 5.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 23.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Paterson, NJ

$40 * 1.5%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 60.2% $24

Getting Around

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 8.1% $1.1

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 $2,481 in Paterson, NJ and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paterson, NJ pays 1824% 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 $447 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

02:32 2:32 AM

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 = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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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 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1824% 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: $2,481 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,984 in Paterson, NJ 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 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 $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,743 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 101% less than in Paterson, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.