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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $836 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,195 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,554 in Assela.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 67% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$3.94 ETB 632

-14.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$43.27 ETB 6,949

-10.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$6.66 ETB 1,070

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$0.95 ETB 152

177.89%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.60 ETB 95.9

178.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.63 ETB 102

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$0.77 ETB 123

241.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.28 ETB 366

87.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.07 ETB 172

44.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.20 ETB 193

85.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$2.11 ETB 338

-46.45%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.72 ETB 277

21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$7.27 ETB 1,167

139.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$10.10 ETB 1,621

-61.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$9.16 ETB 1,471

37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$5.27 ETB 846

-31.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$0.63 ETB 101

147.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$2.20 ETB 353

6.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$0.67 ETB 107

207.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.50 ETB 79.9

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$1.06 ETB 170

120.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.66 ETB 106

56.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.57 ETB 91.4

-3.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$7.92 ETB 1,273

-71.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$5.48 ETB 881

334.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$0.66 ETB 105

250.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.23 ETB 198

127.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.31 ETB 210

-63.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.27 ETB 43.34

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$1.99 ETB 319

187.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$0.97 ETB 156

-21.65%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$54.3K ETB 8.7M

-54.90%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$54.9K ETB 8.8M

-41.51%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$208 ETB 33.4K

-59.79%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$7.28 ETB 1,170

-11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$210 ETB 33.8K

-90.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$3.86 ETB 620

10.88%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$137 ETB 22.0K

255.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$29.7K ETB 4.8M

-80.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$33.35 ETB 5,356

36.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$70.0 ETB 11.2K

-48.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$79.5 ETB 12.8K

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$83.1 ETB 13.3K

-3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

18.5

-25.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Assela: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $43.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $210, 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 67% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,254 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 $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $137 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 $43.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Assela versus $1,396 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 67% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.