Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Aalst

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,067 in Aalst, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Aalst
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,067
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Aalst

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Aalst actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,067 in Aalst.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Aalst $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,086 in Aalst.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Aalst $3,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,105 in Aalst.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Aalst $4,105

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 34% less than in Aalst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Aalst 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.7K
$22.53 €20.10
-85.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 630.5K
$106 €94.3
-66.71%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.0K
$13.43 €11.99
-56.81%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 48.9K
$4.43 €3.95
-38.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.4K
$3.63 €3.24
-54.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$3.17 €2.83
-73.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.4K
$5.55 €4.96
-51.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.0K
$5.53 €4.93
-22.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.0K
$1.31 €1.17
14.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.2K
$2.81 €2.51
-18.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.1K
$2.13 €1.90
-44.60%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.4K
$3.83 €3.42
-44.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 313.3K
$17.39 €15.52
0.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.2K
$11.87 €10.59
-66.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 219.2K
$22.29 €19.90
-45.13%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.6K
$2.99 €2.67
18.73%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.2K
$2.43 €2.17
-35.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.1K
$2.67 €2.38
-16.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.6K
$3.23 €2.88
-40.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.8K
$2.47 €2.21
-23.89%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$1.95 €1.74
17.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$1.54 €1.37
-35.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,435
$1.05 €0.94
-49.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 40.9K
$12.93 €11.54
-82.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 412.5K
$8.74 €7.80
163.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.0K
$1.72 €1.54
36.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.2K
$2.08 €1.85
39.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,297
$3.09 €2.76
-92.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,648
$2.86 €2.55
-83.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,198
$2.35 €2.09
-80.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.8K
$40.40 €36.05
-86.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$2.12 €1.89
-58.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 440.4M
$34.7K €30.9K
-29.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 559.0M
$32.8K €29.3K
-4.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$203 €181
-59.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 115.5K
$21.94 €19.58
-70.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 332.8K
$50.8 €45.37
-63.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$36.21 €32.32
54.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 324.6K
$21.03 €18.77
-13.88%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.6K
$15.18 €13.55
-71.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.8M
$1,605 €1,433
-69.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.1M
$33.7K €30.1K
-82.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 828.0K
$113 €101
-59.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 633.3K
$46.17 €41.21
-23.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$102 €90.9
-22.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$163 €146
-52.02%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.5M
$911 €813
25.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.1M
$808 €721
-16.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 62.8M
$1,384 €1,236
153.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.5M
$1,104 €985
54.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 49.9M
$4,162 €3,714
-33.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.2M
$2,890 €2,580
-22.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Aalst
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 2.9M
$2,782 €2,483
-94.09%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.46
298.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Aalst: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Aalst
$807 19.5% $132
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Aalst
$360 24% $70
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Aalst
$340 212% $231
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Aalst
$276 155% $168
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Aalst
$191 77.6% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Aalst
$67 3.1% $2
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Aalst
$27 * 115% $14

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 $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $911 in Aalst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalst pays 1591% 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: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $106 in Aalst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $360 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇧🇪 Aalst
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
07:14 7:14 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
78,271
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 17,925 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.58 USD). 1 EUR = 20,059 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Aalst 12,220 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Aalst

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
Ubud, Bali vs Aalst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Aalst?
Ubud, Bali and Aalst differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $2,067 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 1591% lower in Aalst. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Aalst?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $911 in Aalst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Aalst. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Aalst?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,067 in Aalst – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,067 in Aalst, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Aalst. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Aalst?
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 Ubud, Bali or Aalst safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Aalst 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: Ubud, Bali or Aalst?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Aalst. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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