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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,038 in Scarborough versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,899 in Scarborough versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,759 in Scarborough versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Scarborough is roughly 44% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scarborough 52% above, Ubud, Bali 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.51 £10.81

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

307.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 £51.9

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

112.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 £7.38

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

100.00%

Cappuccino

$4.43 £3.30

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

63.47%

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

$2.15 £1.60

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

60.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 £0.74

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

41.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 £4.23

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

94.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 £3.57

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

21.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

-18.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.22

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

-35.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.87

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

116.38%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.70

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

47.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 £6.79

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

-38.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.26 £6.16

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

91.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.70 £7.23

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 £2.52

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

-11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 £1.07

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 £1.07

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

-49.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 £1.65

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

-40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.17

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

-28.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.74

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

-1.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.30

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

123.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 £8.56

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

246.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.63 £7.18

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

-59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 £2.09

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 £1.98

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

-6.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 £2.30

$0.27 Rp 4,848

1040.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 £69.8

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

1067.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.48 £3.34

$0.46 Rp 8,230

873.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 £0.85

$0.45 Rp 8,116

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.07 £11.98

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

163.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

137.97%

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

$36.5K £27.2K

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

39.77%

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

$38.6K £28.8K

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

20.25%

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

$272 £203

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

240.07%

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

$15.99 £11.91

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

293.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 £25.81

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

47.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.50 £24.95

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-66.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.90 £9.61

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

94.57%

Cinema Ticket

$11.00 £8.19

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

165.06%

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

$1,704 £1,269

$304 Rp 5.5M

460.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.6K

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

175.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 £51.8

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

25.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.18 £27.70

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

-2.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 £81.2

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

23.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 £65.0

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 £650

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

-13.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 £638

$675 Rp 12.2M

26.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 £1,176

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

-54.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 £894

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

-41.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,075 £1,546

$165 Rp 3.0M

1155.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

13.28

-58.96%

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

Last update for Scarborough: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $872 in Scarborough and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 1156% 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: $70.0 in Scarborough vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $266 vs $302, with Scarborough 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

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

Scarborough and Ubud, Bali differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,038 vs $1,419 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Scarborough pays 1156% more on average, 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: $872 in Scarborough versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 1067% less than in Scarborough. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,704 in Scarborough versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,038 in Scarborough, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Scarborough. 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, Scarborough 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 44% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.