Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Scalea and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,509 in Scalea versus $1,395 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,280 in Scalea versus $2,559 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,051 in Scalea versus $3,724 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Scalea is roughly 8% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scalea 12% above, Ubud, Bali 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.68 €4.83

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.6 €59.3

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

111.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 €9.94

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

129.47%

Cappuccino

$1.69 €1.44

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

-38.55%

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

$2.41 €2.05

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

74.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.10

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

83.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.03

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

23.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 €2.94

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

-10.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.19

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

-21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.50

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.50 €2.13

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

106.61%

Eggs

$3.07 €2.61

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

28.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 €9.10

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.11 €9.45

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

162.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 €13.55

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

-52.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 €1.37

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 €1.27

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

-45.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

-22.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

-27.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.01

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

-48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 €0.72

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 €0.37

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

-43.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.63 €5.64

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

104.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 €3.94

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

-80.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.69

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

-29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.45

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

-39.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 €1.51

$0.27 Rp 4,610

555.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.93 €36.54

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

421.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.85 €5.83

$0.45 Rp 7,708

1422.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.91

$0.43 Rp 7,305

148.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.86 €24.56

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

379.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.70

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

132.56%

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

$25.8K €21.9K

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

-1.06%

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

$25.8K €22.0K

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

-18.51%

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

$210 €178

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

167.48%

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

$14.50 €12.34

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

262.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.28 €33.43

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

61.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 €46.02

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

-43.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.89 €19.48

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

254.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.27 €7.89

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

131.17%

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

$453 €385

$302 Rp 5.2M

50.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,970 €5,931

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

6.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 €67.0

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

47.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.06 €24.73

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

-24.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 €74.1

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €96.1

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

43.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 €638

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

-26.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$579 €492

$672 Rp 11.5M

-13.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,052

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

-63.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$942 €802

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

-55.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,078 €2,620

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,136 €1,818

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

-8.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.59

13.28

-65.44%

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

Last update for Scalea: April 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $750 in Scalea and $1,016 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70 in Scalea vs $33 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $300, with Scalea cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Scalea and Ubud, Bali differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,509 vs $1,395 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,264 in Scalea and $2,092 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: $750 in Scalea versus $1,016 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $453 in Scalea versus $302 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Scalea pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,509 in Scalea, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Scalea. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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, Scalea 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 8% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.