Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surakarta and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 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.

28

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
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Surakarta Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$589

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $589 per month in Surakarta vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $589
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $933 per month in Surakarta vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $933
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,278 per month in Surakarta vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Surakarta $1,278
Ubud, Bali $3,261

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

-48.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.39 Rp 206.6K

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

-68.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.06 Rp 55.4K

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

-44.67%

Cappuccino

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

-43.01%

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

$0.53 Rp 9,664

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-68.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,147

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-69.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.40 Rp 25.5K

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

-47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.4K

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

-36.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-42.28%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 Rp 13.4K

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

-67.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-36.97%

Eggs

$1.00 Rp 18.1K

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

-50.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.78 Rp 141.1K

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

-56.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 29.4K

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

-59.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.32 Rp 96.5K

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

-56.36%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

-46.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.7K

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-19.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 Rp 25.5K

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

-28.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 Rp 24.7K

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-26.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 29.8K

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

-32.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 Rp 9,568

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 Rp 7,783

$0.51 Rp 9,313

-15.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.93 Rp 34.9K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

-13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.23 Rp 149.3K

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-62.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 Rp 29.3K

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-28.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 Rp 7,401

$0.25 Rp 4,553

64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 Rp 205.8K

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

45.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,488

$0.44 Rp 7,972

6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,747

$0.43 Rp 7,801

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 Rp 46.8K

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

-52.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

-4.88%

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

$25.0K Rp 454.0M

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

4.99%

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

$32.9K Rp 596.8M

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

3.63%

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

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-1.72%

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

$2.06 Rp 37.3K

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

-68.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 Rp 339.7K

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.13 Rp 292.6K

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

-67.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.31 Rp 150.7K

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

-52.92%

Cinema Ticket

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

-55.97%

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

$33.22 Rp 602.5K

$491 Rp 8.9M

-93.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,841 Rp 33.4M

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

-67.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 Rp 1.1M

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

31.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.70 Rp 665.7K

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 Rp 1.2M

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-14.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-17.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$223 Rp 4.0M

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-80.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 Rp 2.7M

$671 Rp 12.2M

-78.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 Rp 10.1M

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-84.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 Rp 6.7M

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-78.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,102 Rp 20.0M

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-59.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$712 Rp 12.9M

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-68.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$155 Rp 2.8M

$164 Rp 3.0M

-5.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

13.78

-45.57%

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

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Surakarta

$147 25%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 95.7% $141

Accommodation & Living

Surakarta

$147 25%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 356% $524

Clothing & Footwear

Surakarta

$103 17.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 4.2% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surakarta

$98 16.7%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 5.7% $5.6

Eating Out

Surakarta

$57 9.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 88.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Surakarta

$20 3.4%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 192% $38

Getting Around

Surakarta

$16 2.7%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 26.7% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $223 in Surakarta 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 6% higher in Ubud, Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Surakarta versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $147 vs $288 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

14:12 2:12 PM

1 h ahead of Surakarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

503,421

74,800

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Surakarta Ubud, Bali 500 km

From you

Surakarta
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $589 in Surakarta, $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Surakarta comes out roughly 56% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $883 per month in Surakarta and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Kindergarten costs $33 per month in Surakarta and $491 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Surakarta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Surakarta. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.