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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Sรจte versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,958 in Sรจte versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,982 in Sรจte versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sรจte is roughly 38% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sรจte 44% above, Ubud, Bali 4% above.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.27 โ‚ฌ14.97
$3.57 Rpย 64.7K
383.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.1 โ‚ฌ49.44
$32.50 Rpย 589.5K
75.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.20 โ‚ฌ11.44
$4.86 Rpย 88.2K
171.60%
Cappuccino
$3.46 โ‚ฌ3.00
$2.75 Rpย 49.8K
25.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 โ‚ฌ2.40
$1.32 Rpย 24.0K
109.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.86 โ‚ฌ1.61
$0.70 Rpย 12.7K
165.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.13 โ‚ฌ6.18
$2.91 Rpย 52.8K
145.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 โ‚ฌ6.12
$3.79 Rpย 68.8K
86.28%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.42 โ‚ฌ1.23
$1.71 Rpย 31.0K
-16.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 โ‚ฌ1.41
$2.47 Rpย 44.9K
-34.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.87 โ‚ฌ2.48
$1.20 Rpย 21.8K
139.17%
Eggs
$4.03 โ‚ฌ3.50
$2.44 Rpย 44.3K
65.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$24.20 โ‚ฌ20.97
$14.38 Rpย 260.9K
68.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.18 โ‚ฌ10.56
$4.31 Rpย 78.1K
182.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.84 โ‚ฌ22.40
$12.21 Rpย 221.4K
111.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.20 โ‚ฌ2.77
$3.68 Rpย 66.8K
-13.04%
Banana (1kg)
$2.17 โ‚ฌ1.88
$1.55 Rpย 28.1K
40.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.45 โ‚ฌ2.99
$2.79 Rpย 50.5K
23.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.54 โ‚ฌ3.07
$2.33 Rpย 42.3K
51.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.33 โ‚ฌ2.02
$1.97 Rpย 35.7K
18.27%
Onion (1kg)
$2.24 โ‚ฌ1.94
$2.31 Rpย 41.9K
-3.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.65 โ‚ฌ1.43
$1.06 Rpย 19.3K
55.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 โ‚ฌ0.71
$0.73 Rpย 13.2K
12.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.01 โ‚ฌ12.14
$3.28 Rpย 59.5K
327.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.94 โ‚ฌ8.61
$22.79 Rpย 413.4K
-56.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.50 โ‚ฌ3.03
$2.81 Rpย 50.9K
24.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 โ‚ฌ3.05
$2.78 Rpย 50.5K
26.62%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.87 โ‚ฌ1.62
$0.29 Rpย 5,281
544.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.19 โ‚ฌ42.63
$8.06 Rpย 146.2K
510.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.27 โ‚ฌ4.56
$0.45 Rpย 8,146
1071.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.96 โ‚ฌ1.70
$0.45 Rpย 8,193
335.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.95 โ‚ฌ29.42
$6.24 Rpย 113.1K
444.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 โ‚ฌ1.83
$0.85 Rpย 15.4K
148.24%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.9K โ‚ฌ32.8K
$26.0K Rpย 471.2M
45.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.4K โ‚ฌ33.2K
$31.7K Rpย 574.1M
21.17%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$282 โ‚ฌ245
$80.8 Rpย 1.5M
249.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.07 โ‚ฌ23.46
$4.06 Rpย 73.6K
566.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.95 โ‚ฌ30.29
$24.42 Rpย 442.9K
43.12%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.01 โ‚ฌ32.08
$97.7 Rpย 1.8M
-62.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.24 โ‚ฌ15.81
$6.45 Rpย 116.9K
182.79%
Cinema Ticket
$13.66 โ‚ฌ11.84
$4.04 Rpย 73.3K
238.12%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$405 โ‚ฌ351
$304 Rpย 5.5M
33.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,199 โ‚ฌ7,106
$6,621 Rpย 120.1M
23.83%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.1 โ‚ฌ74.6
$54.2 Rpย 983.6K
58.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.30 โ‚ฌ39.26
$38.78 Rpย 703.2K
16.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 โ‚ฌ76.6
$86.1 Rpย 1.6M
2.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 โ‚ฌ138
$76.7 Rpย 1.4M
107.42%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$773 โ‚ฌ670
$986 Rpย 17.9M
-21.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$606 โ‚ฌ526
$658 Rpย 11.9M
-7.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,377 โ‚ฌ1,193
$3,369 Rpย 61.1M
-59.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,070 โ‚ฌ927
$2,066 Rpย 37.5M
-48.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,084 โ‚ฌ3,539
$2,741 Rpย 49.7M
48.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,124 โ‚ฌ2,707
$2,228 Rpย 40.4M
40.23%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Sรจte
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,311 โ‚ฌ2,003
$163 Rpย 3.0M
1314.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.64
13.28
-72.59%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Sรจte: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $773 in Sรจte and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sรจte pays 1314% 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: $57.0 in Sรจte vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $402 vs $297 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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
Sรจte vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Sรจte?
Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Sรจte or Ubud, Bali?
Sรจte pays 1314% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Sรจte and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $773 in Sรจte versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Sรจte or Ubud, Bali?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali โ€“ a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $57.0 in Sรจte. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Sรจte vs Ubud, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Sรจte versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali โ€“ a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for Sรจte or Ubud, Bali?
At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,933 in Sรจte, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Sรจte. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Sรจte or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Sรจte, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Sรจte or Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Sรจte 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 38% less than in Sรจte. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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