Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tsukuba and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Tsukuba: $1,103 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Tsukuba
🇯🇵 Japan
$1,103
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,103 in Tsukuba versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Tsukuba $1,103
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,755 in Tsukuba versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Tsukuba $1,755
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,407 in Tsukuba versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Tsukuba $2,407
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Tsukuba costs roughly 19% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tsukuba is 19% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.47 ¥1,023
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
100.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.71 ¥5,168
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
-6.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.92 ¥777
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
-13.68%
Cappuccino
$2.70 ¥427
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
3.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.99 ¥157
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
-42.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.79 ¥124
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
-2.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.18 ¥345
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
-17.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 ¥500
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
-27.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.40 ¥221
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-10.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.71 ¥269
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
-21.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.07 ¥484
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
160.17%
Eggs
$2.08 ¥328
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
-3.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.43 ¥1,647
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-40.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.93 ¥936
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
56.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.41 ¥2,277
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
20.59%
Apples (1kg)
$5.55 ¥877
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
54.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.81 ¥444
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
76.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.92 ¥461
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
26.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.07 ¥643
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
113.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.50 ¥396
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
40.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.62 ¥413
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
12.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.79 ¥125
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
-21.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 ¥129
$0.53 Rp 9,509
54.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.70 ¥584
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
61.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.24 ¥986
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
-71.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.74 ¥275
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
-25.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 ¥321
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
-31.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.45 ¥229
$0.23 Rp 4,112
530.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$52.4 ¥8,284
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
489.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.22 ¥509
$0.47 Rp 8,466
585.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.72 ¥430
$0.43 Rp 7,737
532.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$20.84 ¥3,292
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
280.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.06 ¥167
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
27.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K ¥3.4M
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
-10.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.9K ¥2.8M
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-45.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$132 ¥20.9K
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
65.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.06 ¥3,801
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
266.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.01 ¥5,057
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
72.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.4 ¥8,596
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
0.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.48 ¥1,972
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
193.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$95.9 ¥15.1K
$493 Rp 8.9M
-80.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.8K ¥2.3M
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
164.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.00 ¥7,584
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
5.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.46 ¥5,918
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
7.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$38.06 ¥6,014
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
-51.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$41.32 ¥6,528
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
-47.38%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$458 ¥72.4K
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
-59.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$279 ¥44.1K
$673 Rp 12.1M
-58.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,086 ¥171.6K
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-69.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$638 ¥100.8K
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
-62.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,177 ¥659.9K
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
53.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,755 ¥277.2K
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-21.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tsukuba
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,420 ¥224.3K
$166 Rp 3.0M
753.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
2
13.78
-85.49%

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

Last update for Tsukuba: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Tsukuba
$283
Ubud, Bali
$287 1.3% $3.8
Accommodation & Living
Tsukuba
$279
Ubud, Bali
$673 141% $394
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tsukuba
$188
Ubud, Bali
$105 44.1% $83
Eating Out
Tsukuba
$123
Ubud, Bali
$106 13.7% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Tsukuba
$79
Ubud, Bali
$63 21.1% $17
Getting Around
Tsukuba
$75
Ubud, Bali
$12 83.4% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Tsukuba
$74
Ubud, Bali
$107 43.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $458 in Tsukuba and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 753% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Tsukuba vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $287 per month, with Tsukuba cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇯🇵 Tsukuba
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
01:11 1:11 AM
00:11 12:11 AM
1 h behind Tsukuba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
230,398
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to JPY – Japanese Yen Converter

Japanese Yen exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JPY (1,000 JPY = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JPY (1,000 JPY = 5.63 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Tsukuba Ubud, Bali 5,600 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Tsukuba
  • 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
Tsukuba vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tsukuba and in Ubud, Bali?
Tsukuba and Ubud, Bali differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($1,103 vs $1,353 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tsukuba or Ubud, Bali?
Average pay runs 753% higher in Tsukuba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Tsukuba and in Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $458 in Tsukuba versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Tsukuba – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tsukuba or Ubud, Bali?
All in, you'll spend $1,103 per month in Tsukuba versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,103 in Tsukuba versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tsukuba and Ubud, Bali?
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.
Is Tsukuba or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tsukuba 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.
Where should expats move: Tsukuba or Ubud, Bali?
Expats usually find Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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