Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sylva, NC and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,098 in Sylva, NC, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Sylva, NC
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Sylva, NC Living Index
66

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

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Sylva, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,098

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,098 in Sylva, NC versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Sylva, NC $2,098
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,169 in Sylva, NC versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Sylva, NC $3,169
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,240 in Sylva, NC versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Sylva, NC $4,240
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Sylva, NC is roughly 55% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sylva, NC 55% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 $13.16

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

307.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.8 $61.8

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

77.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 $10.35

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

81.58%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

116.03%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

70.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

171.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

127.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

13.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-43.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

29.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

438.14%

Eggs

$3.18 $3.18

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

47.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-49.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.46 $10.46

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

176.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

26.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

58.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

166.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

141.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

135.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

76.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

173.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.53 Rp 9,509

273.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

279.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.16 $18.16

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-27.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

98.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$0.23 Rp 4,112

847.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.47 Rp 8,466

512.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.43 Rp 7,737

337.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 $29.18

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

433.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

19.28%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

15.52%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-18.71%

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

$99.8 $99.8

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

24.79%

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

$39.91 $39.91

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

508.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

271.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.38 $41.38

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-23.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$12.84 $12.84

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

202.12%

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

$500 $500

$493 Rp 8.9M

1.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,600 $9,600

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

71.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.21 $30.21

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-33.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.27 $32.27

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-7.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-14.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.5 $74.5

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-5.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 $1,303

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,049 $1,049

$673 Rp 12.1M

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-40.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 $1,877

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

10.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,350 $2,350

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

4.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

13.78

-51.23%

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

Last update for Sylva, NC: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sylva, NC

$1K 50%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 35.8% $376

Groceries & Markets

Sylva, NC

$396 18.9%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 27.5% $109

Eating Out

Sylva, NC

$265 12.6%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 59.8% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sylva, NC

$209 10%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 49.7% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Sylva, NC

$92 4.4%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 16.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Sylva, NC

$67 3.2%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 6.6% $4.4

Getting Around

Sylva, NC

$21 * 1%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 40.8% $8.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,303 in Sylva, NC and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Sylva, NC vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $287 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sylva, NC

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:19 6:19 AM

18:19 6:19 PM

12 h ahead of Sylva, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,600

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sylva, NC Ubud, Bali 16,490 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Sylva, NC
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Sylva, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,148 in Sylva, NC and $2,030 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: $1,303 in Sylva, NC versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Sylva, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,098 per month in Sylva, NC versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,098 in Sylva, NC, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Sylva, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sylva, NC 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 55% less than in Sylva, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.