Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ames, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,152 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Ames, IA $4,277

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 38% less than in Ames, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Ames, IA is 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$17.69 $17.69

-80.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 629.1K

$52.7 $52.7

-34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

$11.91 $11.91

-53.23%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$4.86 $4.86

-46.09%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$2.62 $2.62

-41.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$2.30 $2.30

-72.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$4.05 $4.05

-34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

$7.13 $7.13

-40.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$0.90 $0.90

62.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$3.61 $3.61

-36.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$3.26 $3.26

-65.95%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$3.46 $3.46

-39.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.4K

$10.37 $10.37

53.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

$13.64 $13.64

-71.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 207.0K

$18.55 $18.55

-38.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

$5.82 $5.82

-39.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.86 $1.86

-17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$6.48 $6.48

-65.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.15 $5.15

-61.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$4.29 $4.29

-56.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$4.07 $4.07

-40.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.33 $2.33

-56.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,483

$2.54 $2.54

-79.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$9.72 $9.72

-77.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.6K

$15.93 $15.93

36.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$2.90 $2.90

-19.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$5.09 $5.09

-41.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,546

$0.97 $0.97

-74.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

$34.51 $34.51

-76.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,947

$5.02 $5.02

-91.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,496

$1.73 $1.73

-72.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.7K

$23.68 $23.68

-76.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.90 $0.90

-7.78%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.8M

$25.5K $25.5K

-4.22%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

$26.4K $26.4K

19.87%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$183 $183

-57.61%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.6K

$56.2 $56.2

-89.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.4K

$69.4 $69.4

-72.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.8K

$67.9 $67.9

-24.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.3K

$19.84 $19.84

-8.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$14.93 $14.93

-70.66%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$1,337 $1,337

-63.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.9M

$10.2K $10.2K

19.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.9K

$55.8 $55.8

-19.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 633.4K

$44.45 $44.45

-21.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$88.8 $88.8

-11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$108 $108

-27.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

$1,065 $1,065

1.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$834 $834

-20.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$1,787 $1,787

96.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$1,445 $1,445

15.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

$2,605 $2,605

-10.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$2,115 $2,115

5.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$3,549 $3,549

-95.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.41

114.98%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 25.4% $169

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 56.1% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 25.8% $27

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 174% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 201% $206

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 63.6% $38

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 336% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 21 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $53 in Ames, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $436 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

12:43 12:43 PM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

66,427

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,353 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Ames, IA 15,340 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Ames, IA

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 Ames, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 76% less than in Ames, IA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,337 in Ames, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Ames, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.