Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Arendal

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,750 in Arendal, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Arendal
Learn more

Arendal Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Arendal

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,750 in Arendal.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Arendal $2,750

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,932 in Arendal.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Arendal $3,932

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,113 in Arendal.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Arendal $5,113

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 51% less than in Arendal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$20.71 NOK 192

-83.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 648.1K

$67.1 NOK 621

-46.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$16.06 NOK 149

-65.57%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$5.51 NOK 51.0

-50.64%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$3.75 NOK 34.72

-54.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$3.42 NOK 31.62

-77.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.3K

$11.85 NOK 110

-77.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.7K

$10.58 NOK 97.9

-58.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.49 NOK 23.04

-40.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$3.55 NOK 32.83

-35.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$4.01 NOK 37.08

-70.32%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$4.76 NOK 44.04

-57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.9K

$14.98 NOK 139

18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.1K

$14.93 NOK 138

-73.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.7K

$34.94 NOK 323

-65.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.5K

$3.61 NOK 33.35

1.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$2.75 NOK 25.44

-44.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$3.49 NOK 32.25

-36.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$4.99 NOK 46.14

-60.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$2.56 NOK 23.68

-27.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$3.16 NOK 29.22

-23.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.90 NOK 26.85

-65.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,336

$2.42 NOK 22.43

-78.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$18.37 NOK 170

-87.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.4K

$15.07 NOK 139

47.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$3.74 NOK 34.63

-39.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$4.45 NOK 41.13

-33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,564

$3.78 NOK 34.97

-93.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.3K

$94.4 NOK 873

-91.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,992

$6.36 NOK 58.8

-93.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,821

$1.82 NOK 16.81

-76.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.4K

$108 NOK 1,003

-95.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$2.33 NOK 21.58

-64.81%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.5M

$49.6K NOK 459.2K

-51.97%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.3M

$41.7K NOK 385.8K

-23.88%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$263 NOK 2,430

-69.90%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$34.00 NOK 315

-81.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.8K

$79.7 NOK 738

-76.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.8K

$37.05 NOK 343

33.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$15.90 NOK 147

-73.14%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$335 NOK 3,095

46.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.2M

$14.5K NOK 134.3K

-60.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.7K

$131 NOK 1,207

-65.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.6K

$44.64 NOK 413

-21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$130 NOK 1,204

-38.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$210 NOK 1,939

-62.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.5M

$1,159 NOK 10.7K

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$1,053 NOK 9,742

-36.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$1,593 NOK 14.7K

123.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,518 NOK 14.0K

13.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.7M

$4,347 NOK 40.2K

-37.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$3,230 NOK 29.9K

-29.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,235 NOK 39.2K

-96.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.68

194.44%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Arendal: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Arendal

$1.1K 38.3% 56.8% $382

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Arendal

$506 18.4% 75.3% $217

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Arendal

$389 14.2% 261% $281

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Arendal

$232 8.4% 116% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Arendal

$376 13.7% 262% $272

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Arendal

$69 2.5% 18.6% $11

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Arendal

$125 4.5% 994% $114

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,159 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays about 26 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $67 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $506 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇳🇴 Arendal

🕒 Local time

16:21 4:21 PM

09:21 9:21 AM

7 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

46,406

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

100 NOK = 10.81 USD

100 NOK = 9.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,291 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.25 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.32 NOK (100 NOK = 9.69 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Arendal 11,770 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Arendal

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 Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,750 in Arendal, so Ubud, Bali is about 51% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 96% 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,159 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Arendal are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.