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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $817 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,242 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,667 in Assela.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 72% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.59 ETB 727

-24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$35.32 ETB 5,599

-8.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.54 ETB 1,036

-25.99%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.30 ETB 205

111.54%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.69 ETB 110

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.47 ETB 74.2

59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.01 ETB 160

196.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.08 ETB 488

25.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.38 ETB 219

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.32 ETB 210

86.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.12 ETB 336

-44.81%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.49 ETB 395

-2.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$6.98 ETB 1,106

107.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$13.67 ETB 2,166

-68.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$13.17 ETB 2,087

-9.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$6.72 ETB 1,064

-44.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.02 ETB 161

59.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.27 ETB 360

20.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.99 ETB 157

126.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.68 ETB 108

182.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.92 ETB 304

18.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.69 ETB 109

53.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.68 ETB 108

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.95 ETB 626

-16.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.66 ETB 897

309.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.99 ETB 157

180.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.83 ETB 291

49.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.42 ETB 225

-66.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.29 ETB 46.54

44.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$2.05 ETB 325

203.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.30 ETB 206

-37.69%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$54.0K ETB 8.6M

-50.72%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$53.8K ETB 8.5M

-40.19%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$157 ETB 24.9K

-50.11%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$12.04 ETB 1,909

-66.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$129 ETB 20.5K

-81.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$5.76 ETB 914

-30.73%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$80.2 ETB 12.7K

280.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$39.8K ETB 6.3M

-83.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$46.74 ETB 7,409

15.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$73.9 ETB 11.7K

-48.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$94.5 ETB 15.0K

-8.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$113 ETB 17.8K

-32.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-21.88%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Assela: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $35.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $265, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 72% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,225 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $80.2 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $817 in Assela versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.