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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $669 in Ambon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,032 in Ambon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,395 in Ambon.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 108% more expensive than in Ambon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ambon is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.6K

$0.93 Rp 16.6K

265.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 577.1K

$12.17 Rp 216.8K

166.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 89.1K

$3.43 Rp 61.2K

45.77%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.3K

$1.65 Rp 29.4K

70.91%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.5K

$0.54 Rp 9,653

155.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.24 Rp 4,264

204.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 53.2K

$2.52 Rp 44.9K

18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.8K

$3.52 Rp 62.7K

12.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.0K

$1.17 Rp 20.8K

52.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.12 Rp 20.0K

119.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

$0.89 Rp 15.8K

34.83%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.6K

$1.55 Rp 27.6K

54.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 256.6K

$8.24 Rp 146.8K

74.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 76.4K

$3.15 Rp 56.1K

35.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 210.6K

$7.89 Rp 140.7K

49.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.4K

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

62.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.45 Rp 25.8K

12.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.9K

$1.81 Rp 32.2K

54.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.3K

$1.58 Rp 28.1K

43.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.6K

$1.36 Rp 24.3K

47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$1.95 Rp 34.8K

13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 19.1K

$0.91 Rp 16.2K

17.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.42 Rp 7,403

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.7K

$2.45 Rp 43.6K

27.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 424.4K

$21.54 Rp 383.9K

10.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.6K

$2.11 Rp 37.7K

34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.5K

$3.09 Rp 55.0K

-10.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,755

$0.32 Rp 5,775

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 149.1K

$9.62 Rp 171.4K

-12.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,082

$0.57 Rp 10.1K

-21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,624

$0.37 Rp 6,616

16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 106.5K

$2.90 Rp 51.6K

106.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

2.56%

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

$25.8K Rp 459.9M

$24.7K Rp 439.8M

4.56%

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

$31.8K Rp 566.8M

$27.9K Rp 497.5M

13.93%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$71.0 Rp 1.3M

13.73%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.7K

$4.19 Rp 74.7K

-1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 429.8K

$22.81 Rp 406.5K

5.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$23.41 Rp 417.2K

317.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 118.4K

$6.17 Rp 110.0K

7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.9K

$3.16 Rp 56.2K

27.85%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$92.8 Rp 1.7M

220.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 117.4M

$7,601 Rp 135.5M

-13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 982.6K

$41.20 Rp 734.3K

33.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 686.2K

$30.54 Rp 544.3K

26.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$65.7 Rp 1.2M

31.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$75.0 Rp 1.3M

4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.6M

$262 Rp 4.7M

276.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$155 Rp 2.8M

329.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.4M

$593 Rp 10.6M

481.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.4M

$328 Rp 5.9M

521.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.4M

$1,372 Rp 24.5M

106.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.7M

$670 Rp 11.9M

240.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$173 Rp 3.1M

-2.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.15

45.14%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Ambon: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $262 in Ambon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ambon pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Ambon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $209 per month, with Ambon cheaper across the board.

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 Ambon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ambon wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ambon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Ambon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $262 in Ambon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,394 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $669 in Ambon – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ambon runs roughly 15% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $669 in Ambon versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ambon but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ambon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ambon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $669 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ambon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ambon 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 Ambon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.