Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semarang and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $593 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Semarang, Indonesia
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Semarang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$593
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $593 per month in Semarang vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Semarang $593
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $938 per month in Semarang vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Semarang $938
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,282 per month in Semarang vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Semarang $1,282
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Semarang is about 56% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.34 Rp 24.4K
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
-59.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.53 Rp 191.3K
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
-70.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.04 Rp 55.3K
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
-45.03%
Cappuccino
$1.28 Rp 23.2K
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-52.94%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.43 Rp 7,808
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-74.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16 Rp 2,847
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
-78.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.64 Rp 29.8K
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-38.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 Rp 59.1K
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-25.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 Rp 19.0K
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-29.53%
White Bread (500g)
$0.92 Rp 16.7K
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
-59.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.79 Rp 14.4K
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
-33.61%
Eggs
$1.18 Rp 21.4K
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
-42.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 70.2K
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-78.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 42.4K
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
-41.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.55 Rp 137.3K
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
-38.06%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 Rp 35.7K
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
-46.45%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 Rp 23.3K
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
-15.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.8K
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
-19.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 Rp 26.7K
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
-25.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 Rp 23.3K
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
-30.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.89 Rp 34.3K
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-21.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.93 Rp 17.0K
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-6.06%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.40 Rp 7,359
$0.51 Rp 9,332
-21.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.87 Rp 34.1K
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
-15.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$25.05 Rp 455.2K
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
12.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.8K
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-27.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 Rp 35.4K
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-34.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 Rp 3,816
$0.25 Rp 4,562
-16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$13.93 Rp 253.1K
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
78.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.50 Rp 9,128
$0.44 Rp 7,989
13.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 Rp 5,331
$0.43 Rp 7,817
-32.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.69 Rp 48.8K
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
-50.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.77 Rp 14.0K
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
-6.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.5K Rp 446.0M
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
2.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.2K Rp 585.5M
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
1.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$86.1 Rp 1.6M
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
8.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
-58.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.96 Rp 344.7K
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
2.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.30 Rp 368.9K
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-58.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.49 Rp 81.5K
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-74.56%
Cinema Ticket
$2.25 Rp 40.9K
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
-47.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$49.33 Rp 896.6K
$491 Rp 8.9M
-89.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,076 Rp 37.7M
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
-63.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.61 Rp 629.1K
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-22.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.31 Rp 532.7K
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-16.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$56.4 Rp 1.0M
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-29.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$38.07 Rp 691.9K
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-52.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$226 Rp 4.1M
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-79.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$136 Rp 2.5M
$671 Rp 12.2M
-79.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$477 Rp 8.7M
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-86.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$380 Rp 6.9M
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-77.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,223 Rp 22.2M
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-55.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$833 Rp 15.1M
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-63.51%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Semarang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$186 Rp 3.4M
$164 Rp 3.0M
13.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.82
13.78
-35.99%

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

Last update for Semarang: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Semarang
$184
Ubud, Bali
$288 56.9% $105
Accommodation & Living
Semarang
$136
Ubud, Bali
$672 392% $535
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Semarang
$108
Ubud, Bali
$104 3.4% $3.7
Clothing & Footwear
Semarang
$71
Ubud, Bali
$108 50.8% $36
Eating Out
Semarang
$52
Ubud, Bali
$108 106% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Semarang
$25
Ubud, Bali
$58 134% $33
Getting Around
Semarang
$17
Ubud, Bali
$11 31.8% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $226 in Semarang versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 13% higher in Semarang, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Semarang versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $184 vs $288 – making Semarang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Semarang
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
05:18 5:18 AM
06:18 6:18 AM
1 h ahead of Semarang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,555,984
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Semarang Ubud, Bali 560 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Semarang
  • 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
Semarang vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Semarang cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 127%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $890 per month in Semarang and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Semarang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $226 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
Is eating out cheaper in Semarang or in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Semarang and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Semarang and in Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $593 in Semarang and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Semarang about 56% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Semarang or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Semarang, where all-in costs run around $593, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Semarang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Semarang or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Semarang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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