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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,155 in Tsukuba versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,866 in Tsukuba versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,577 in Tsukuba versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Tsukuba costs roughly 18% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tsukuba is 14% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.12 ¥669

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

19.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.67 ¥5,958

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 ¥928

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

17.98%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ¥457

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

2.55%

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

$0.89 ¥145

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 ¥121

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ¥312

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

-35.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 ¥503

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

-19.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 ¥255

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

-9.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 ¥283

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

-29.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ¥402

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

111.97%

Eggs

$2.22 ¥360

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

-8.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 ¥1,312

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

-44.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 ¥992

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

40.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.17 ¥1,814

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

-6.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.85 ¥950

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

57.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 ¥503

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

89.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 ¥643

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 ¥341

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-6.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 ¥524

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

68.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 ¥556

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ¥174

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 ¥136

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

15.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.89 ¥633

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.99 ¥1,460

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

-61.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥293

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-34.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 ¥346

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 ¥405

$0.27 Rp 4,786

822.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.5 ¥8,851

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

571.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 ¥550

$0.48 Rp 8,675

604.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 ¥481

$0.42 Rp 7,545

604.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.57 ¥3,668

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

262.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 ¥199

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

50.62%

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

$22.0K ¥3.6M

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

-17.45%

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

$15.1K ¥2.5M

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

-53.00%

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

$143 ¥23.2K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

82.32%

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

$27.48 ¥4,464

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

575.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.06 ¥5,534

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

39.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.5 ¥9,670

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.00 ¥2,275

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

120.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.76 ¥2,236

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

244.86%

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

$141 ¥22.9K

$305 Rp 5.5M

-53.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ¥2.0M

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

81.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.95 ¥6,654

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

-24.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 ¥4,765

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

-22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.63 ¥6,764

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-52.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.3 ¥15.6K

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

26.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$518 ¥84.1K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 ¥51.4K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-53.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 ¥192.8K

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

-64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 ¥112.4K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-66.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,959 ¥643.2K

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

41.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,109 ¥342.7K

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

-5.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,395 ¥226.6K

$167 Rp 3.0M

735.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-84.94%

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

Last update for Tsukuba: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $518 in Tsukuba and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 735% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Tsukuba vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $276 vs $297, with Tsukuba cheaper for home cooking.

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

Tsukuba and Ubud, Bali differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,155 vs $1,408 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 735% higher in Tsukuba, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $518 in Tsukuba versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tsukuba – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,155 per month in Tsukuba versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Tsukuba versus $1,408 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.