Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,431 in Rapid City, SD, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rapid City, SD, United States
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Rapid City, SD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,431
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,431 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Rapid City, SD $2,431
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Rapid City, SD $3,376
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $4,320 per month in Rapid City, SD vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Rapid City, SD $4,320
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Rapid City, SD costs about 80% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.22 $17.22
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
418.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.6 $61.6
$35.64 Rp 645.8K
72.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.88 $10.88
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
96.75%
Cappuccino
$5.66 $5.66
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
108.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
37.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
125.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.02 $4.02
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
51.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.43 $5.43
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
23.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
-28.19%
White Bread (500g)
$3.12 $3.12
$2.28 Rp 41.2K
36.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
63.03%
Eggs
$4.36 $4.36
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
113.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.35 $13.35
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
-24.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.16 $8.16
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
106.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.60 $12.60
$12.19 Rp 220.9K
3.36%
Apples (1kg)
$3.53 $3.53
$3.66 Rp 66.2K
-3.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 $1.29
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
-15.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.60 $2.60
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
16.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.74 $3.74
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
89.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
1.08%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 $2.62
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
8.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.09 $2.09
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
111.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.95 $2.95
$0.51 Rp 9,303
478.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.78 $9.78
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
340.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.94 $13.94
$22.24 Rp 403.0K
-37.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
-22.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.89 $4.89
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
64.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.47 $1.47
$0.25 Rp 4,548
488.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.31 $30.31
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
287.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.98 $2.98
$0.44 Rp 7,964
577.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.21 $1.21
$0.43 Rp 7,793
181.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.35 $25.35
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
368.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
6.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K $35.4K
$23.8K Rp 432.0M
48.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K $31.7K
$31.7K Rp 575.3M
-0.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$194 $194
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
145.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$46.70 $46.70
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
624.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.5 $60.5
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
225.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 $50.9
$49.48 Rp 896.7K
2.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.83 $14.83
$17.65 Rp 319.8K
-15.98%
Cinema Ticket
$11.79 $11.79
$4.27 Rp 77.4K
176.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$767 $767
$491 Rp 8.9M
56.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 $62.6
$44.64 Rp 808.9K
40.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.4 $75.4
$34.95 Rp 633.4K
115.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.6 $77.6
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
-2.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 $111
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
39.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$973 $973
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-13.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,237 $1,237
$671 Rp 12.2M
84.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,751 $1,751
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
-50.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,729 $1,729
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
0.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,637 $2,637
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
-3.48%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,608 $2,608
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
14.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rapid City, SD
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,923 $3,923
$164 Rp 3.0M
2294.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.44
13.78
-53.27%

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

Last update for Rapid City, SD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rapid City, SD
$1.2K
Ubud, Bali
$672 45.7% $565
Groceries & Markets
Rapid City, SD
$341
Ubud, Bali
$288 15.5% $53
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rapid City, SD
$301
Ubud, Bali
$104 65.4% $197
Eating Out
Rapid City, SD
$285
Ubud, Bali
$108 62.3% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Rapid City, SD
$147
Ubud, Bali
$108 26.8% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Rapid City, SD
$74
Ubud, Bali
$58 22.1% $16
Getting Around
Rapid City, SD
$45
Ubud, Bali
$11 74.7% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Rapid City, SD versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rapid City, SD are about 24 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Rapid City, SD versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $288 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
18:03 6:03 PM
09:03 9:03 AM
15 h ahead of Rapid City, SD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,703
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rapid City, SD Ubud, Bali 14,590 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rapid City, SD
  • 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
Rapid City, SD vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rapid City, SD or Ubud, Bali?
Rapid City, SD costs about 80% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Rapid City, SD and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,646 per month in Rapid City, SD and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Rapid City, SD or Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Rapid City, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $973 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Rapid City, SD and in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Rapid City, SD and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Rapid City, SD compared to Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,431 in Rapid City, SD and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Ubud, Bali about 45% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Rapid City, SD or in Ubud, Bali?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,431 in Rapid City, SD and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rapid City, SD or Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $2,431 in Rapid City, SD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Should I move to Rapid City, SD or to Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rapid City, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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