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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,156 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,574 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Cruz, Laguna costs roughly 48% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz, Laguna is 45% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.80 ₱111

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

-49.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.66 ₱534

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

-73.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.05 ₱188

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

-38.38%

Cappuccino

$2.19 ₱135

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

-19.19%

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

$0.43 ₱26.47

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-67.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ₱15.85

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

-62.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.27 ₱78.4

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

-56.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 ₱66.7

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

-72.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 ₱111

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 ₱74.5

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-51.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 ₱66.0

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

-7.76%

Eggs

$1.74 ₱107

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

-29.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.38 ₱332

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 ₱266

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.16 ₱442

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

-41.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 ₱97.1

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-59.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.51 ₱31.34

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

-67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.56 ₱96.2

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-44.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 ₱104

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

-27.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 ₱177

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

49.74%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 ₱256

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

89.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 ₱96.3

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

54.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 ₱64.2

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ₱196

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

-4.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.92 ₱550

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-62.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 ₱95.3

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱122

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 ₱15.84

$0.27 Rp 4,800

-3.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱47.63

$0.46 Rp 8,150

67.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₱13.53

$0.45 Rp 8,037

-51.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 ₱135

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

-64.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₱67.1

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

37.97%

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

$25.4K ₱1.6M

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

-2.81%

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

$20.4K ₱1.3M

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-36.57%

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

$94.5 ₱5,826

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

18.20%

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

$33.54 ₱2,068

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

726.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.99 ₱1,849

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

27.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.24 ₱2,111

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-65.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.49 ₱277

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

-32.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 ₱426

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

66.51%

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

$81.2 ₱5,005

$304 Rp 5.4M

-73.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,818 ₱173.7K

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

-57.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.30 ₱1,992

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

-41.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.26 ₱1,804

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

-23.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 ₱5,998

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 ₱5,719

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

19.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 ₱16.7K

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-73.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱11.0K

$675 Rp 12.1M

-73.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$579 ₱35.7K

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-83.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 ₱24.6K

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-80.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 ₱157.7K

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-9.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,067 ₱65.8K

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-52.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.13

13.28

-38.78%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $9.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $302 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna cheaper across the board.

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

Santa Cruz, Laguna and Ubud, Bali differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($738 vs $1,419 including rent). Santa Cruz, Laguna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,107 in Santa Cruz, Laguna and $2,129 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $81.2 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $304 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.