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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,218 in Arendal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,391 in Arendal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,563 in Arendal.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 36% less than in Arendal, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Arendal 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$17.87 NOK 166

-80.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$75.4 NOK 702

-56.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$14.93 NOK 139

-66.85%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$5.17 NOK 48.10

-47.58%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$3.18 NOK 29.56

-57.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$3.06 NOK 28.53

-77.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$11.16 NOK 104

-73.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$10.17 NOK 94.7

-61.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$2.37 NOK 22.03

-23.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$3.06 NOK 28.47

-17.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$3.59 NOK 33.46

-67.69%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$4.33 NOK 40.34

-43.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$13.22 NOK 123

11.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$15.42 NOK 144

-71.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$27.81 NOK 259

-56.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$3.44 NOK 32.04

11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.52 NOK 23.45

-38.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$3.01 NOK 27.99

-5.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$4.75 NOK 44.22

-50.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.12 NOK 19.78

-9.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.93 NOK 27.23

-24.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$2.52 NOK 23.50

-59.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.78 NOK 16.55

-56.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$14.98 NOK 139

-77.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$18.12 NOK 169

31.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$3.33 NOK 30.99

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$4.02 NOK 37.45

-28.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$3.83 NOK 35.65

-92.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$103 NOK 959

-92.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$7.88 NOK 73.4

-94.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$2.05 NOK 19.06

-78.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$29.93 NOK 279

-79.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$2.10 NOK 19.59

-62.38%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$34.5K NOK 321.4K

-24.27%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$32.7K NOK 304.7K

-1.87%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$187 NOK 1,738

-57.18%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$35.07 NOK 326

-88.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$73.6 NOK 685

-68.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$43.98 NOK 409

124.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$53.8 NOK 500

-87.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$11.98 NOK 111

-65.36%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$302 NOK 2,807

0.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$10.1K NOK 93.8K

-34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$95.5 NOK 889

-41.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$59.1 NOK 550

-35.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$105 NOK 975

-15.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$156 NOK 1,452

-50.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

-8.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$695 NOK 6,468

-2.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$1,295 NOK 12.1K

165.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$1,145 NOK 10.7K

78.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

-10.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

4.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$4,262 NOK 39.7K

-96.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.6

268.89%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $1,100 in Arendal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 2479% 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: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $75.0 in Arendal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $459 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Arendal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Arendal differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $2,218 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Arendal earns 2479% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,100 in Arendal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $302 in Arendal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,218 in Arendal, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Arendal. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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, Ubud, Bali and Arendal 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.