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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,483 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,175 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,866 in Asmara.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 4% less than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Asmara 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$12.52 ERN 188

-71.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$30.40 ERN 457

7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$6.14 ERN 92.3

-19.38%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$0.74 ERN 11.10

266.22%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$1.88 ERN 28.26

-28.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.36 ERN 20.45

-48.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.02 ERN 15.32

186.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.04 ERN 30.67

94.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.59 ERN 23.95

13.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$0.49 ERN 7.36

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.94 ERN 29.13

-40.21%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$4.44 ERN 66.8

-44.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$3.05 ERN 45.80

382.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$26.68 ERN 401

-83.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$10.09 ERN 152

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$12.27 ERN 184

-68.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.25 ERN 18.79

24.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.90 ERN 28.63

48.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.18 ERN 17.79

97.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.78 ERN 26.68

7.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.06 ERN 15.86

107.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.65 ERN 9.78

55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-64.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$1.97 ERN 29.55

68.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$11.95 ERN 180

98.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.01 ERN 15.19

176.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.19 ERN 17.87

140.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.14 ERN 2.11

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$8.04 ERN 121

-0.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$0.68 ERN 10.23

-32.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.61 ERN 9.23

-26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$8.27 ERN 124

-26.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$2.18 ERN 32.83

-63.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$65.8K ERN 988.7K

-60.25%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$69.2K ERN 1.0M

-53.56%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$27.01 ERN 406

195.96%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$67.8 ERN 1,019

-94.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$201 ERN 3,018

-88.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$27.53 ERN 414

258.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$7.68 ERN 115

-13.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$1.13 ERN 17.00

267.26%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$25.33 ERN 381

1100.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$1,678 ERN 25.2K

294.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$81.0 ERN 1,217

-31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$74.2 ERN 1,115

-48.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$197 ERN 2,962

-55.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$94.8 ERN 1,425

-17.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$467 ERN 7,017

115.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$405 ERN 6,083

66.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$737 ERN 11.1K

366.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$659 ERN 9,908

209.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

127.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$2,483 ERN 37.3K

-8.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Asmara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $467 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $369, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

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 Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Asmara differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,483 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $2,225 in Asmara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $467 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 0% less than in Asmara. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $25.33 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,483 in Asmara, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Asmara. 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 Asmara 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 5% less than in Asmara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.