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: $1,535 in Scalea versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,289 in Scalea versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,043 in Scalea versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Scalea is roughly 9% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scalea 15% above, Ubud, Bali 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 €4.92

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

62.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.2 €59.7

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

110.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.50 €10.07

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

137.60%

Cappuccino

$1.78 €1.56

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

-35.27%

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

$2.49 €2.18

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 €1.07

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

62.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.95

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

12.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 €3.11

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

-7.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.18

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

-22.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

-25.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 €2.18

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

112.82%

Eggs

$3.09 €2.71

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

27.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.72 €9.39

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

-26.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 €9.93

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

160.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.95 €13.97

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

33.14%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 €1.46

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

-55.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 €1.40

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-1.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 €1.27

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

-47.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-21.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-29.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.03

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

-48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-14.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 €0.41

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-34.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €6.00

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

108.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 €6.89

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

-66.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.67

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.51

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-36.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.51

$0.27 Rp 4,786

540.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.45 €38.05

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

435.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.82 €5.97

$0.48 Rp 8,675

1320.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 €0.89

$0.42 Rp 7,545

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.49 €25.83

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

374.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

148.15%

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

$25.0K €21.9K

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

-6.15%

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

$25.6K €22.4K

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

-20.57%

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

$209 €183

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

167.01%

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

$14.48 €12.68

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

255.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.46 €33.68

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

58.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 €48.81

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-43.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.82 €19.98

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

259.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.94

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

127.07%

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

$445 €390

$305 Rp 5.5M

45.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,043 €6,169

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

6.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.8 €69.1

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

45.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.64 €25.08

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

-24.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 €78.9

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €99.0

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

48.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 €656

$992 Rp 17.8M

-24.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$589 €516

$673 Rp 12.1M

-12.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 €1,057

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

-64.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 €826

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-54.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 €1,265

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

-48.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,183 €1,036

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

-46.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $749 in Scalea and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Scalea vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $297, 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 9% in total monthly costs ($1,535 vs $1,408 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,302 in Scalea and $2,112 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: $749 in Scalea versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $445 in Scalea versus $305 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,535 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 9% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.