Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz, CA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $35,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index
67

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

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Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,325
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,239 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,239
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,152 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,152
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Santa Cruz, CA is roughly 216% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Cruz, CA 220% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

649.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

185.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 $15.15

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

161.21%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

109.16%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

108.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

177.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

190.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

88.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-7.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

105.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

561.02%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

187.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.59 $26.59

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

52.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.85 $16.85

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

318.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

44.81%

Apples (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

124.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

47.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

273.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

248.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

132.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

30.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.98 $4.98

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

403.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$0.53 Rp 9,475

462.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

414.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 $24.52

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.24 Rp 4,315

729.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

630.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$0.48 Rp 8,684

556.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.46 Rp 8,233

428.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.55 $40.55

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

644.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

75.00%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

52.81%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-17.34%

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

$377 $377

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

353.95%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

813.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

260.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 $79.3

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

41.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.55 $12.55

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-30.70%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

259.82%

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

$2,455 $2,455

$493 Rp 8.9M

397.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

411.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

44.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 $48.92

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

38.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

103.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 $3,054

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

167.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$676 Rp 12.2M

265.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,807 $4,807

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

37.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,164 $4,164

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

144.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,919 $7,919

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

184.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

403.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,511 $5,511

$165 Rp 3.0M

3249.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

13.78

-53.05%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 72.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 51.3% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 78.5% $395

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 72.3% $283

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 34.8% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 41.7% $46

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 85.7% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays 3249% 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: $100 in Santa Cruz, CA vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $596 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

05:26 5:26 AM

15 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Santa Cruz, CA Ubud, Bali 13,460 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz, CA
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

Santa Cruz, CA vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 216% lower than in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 3249% higher in Santa Cruz, CA, 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: $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,325 per month in Santa Cruz, CA versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali – a 216% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Santa Cruz, CA. 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 $1,368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz, CA 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 216% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.