Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, MA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $25,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index
66

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

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Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,511 in Salem, MA versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Salem, MA $3,511
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,880 in Salem, MA versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Salem, MA $4,880
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,248 in Salem, MA versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Salem, MA $6,248
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Salem, MA is roughly 159% 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: Salem, MA 159% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 $24.63

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

662.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

181.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

96.49%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

92.37%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

43.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

166.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

206.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

64.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-19.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

62.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

275.42%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-30.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

210.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

45.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

28.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

148.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

57.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

24.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

155.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.53 Rp 9,509

320.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 $11.02

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

381.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-23.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$0.23 Rp 4,112

721.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.09 $40.09

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

350.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.47 Rp 8,466

538.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.43 Rp 7,737

258.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.85 $31.85

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

482.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

7.23%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

8.41%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-18.09%

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

$179 $179

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

123.55%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

805.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

242.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 $42.17

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$14.49 $14.49

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

240.94%

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

$1,266 $1,266

$493 Rp 8.9M

156.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

323.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 $84.2

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

84.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 $56.8

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

62.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

25.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 $98.1

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

24.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 $2,339

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

106.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$673 Rp 12.1M

221.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,928 $3,928

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

8.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,135 $3,135

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

84.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 $2,748

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

1.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

4.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,532 $9,532

$166 Rp 3.0M

5629.61%

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 Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 68.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Salem, MA

$401 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 28.4% $114

Eating Out

Salem, MA

$365 10.4%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 70.8% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salem, MA

$302 8.6%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 65.2% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Salem, MA

$152 4.3%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 29.7% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Salem, MA

$71 2%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 12% $8.5

Getting Around

Salem, MA

$58 1.7%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 78.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,339 in Salem, MA and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 5630% 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: $98.0 in Salem, MA vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $287 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:51 6:51 AM

18:51 6:51 PM

12 h ahead of Salem, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,469

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Salem, MA Ubud, Bali 16,190 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Salem, MA
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 159% lower than in Salem, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5630% higher in Salem, MA, 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: $2,339 in Salem, MA versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,266 in Salem, MA 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 40% higher in Salem, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,511 in Salem, MA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Salem, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Salem, MA 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 159% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.