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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $806 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,237 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,669 in Assela.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 76% more expensive than Assela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Assela is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.60 ETB 725

-22.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$35.67 ETB 5,622

-8.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$6.32 ETB 996

-21.68%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.29 ETB 203

110.08%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.64 ETB 101

109.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.43 ETB 68.3

62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$0.98 ETB 154

197.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.93 ETB 462

35.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.44 ETB 228

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.32 ETB 209

90.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$2.17 ETB 343

-46.54%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.46 ETB 388

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$7.00 ETB 1,104

110.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$13.87 ETB 2,185

-68.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$13.40 ETB 2,112

-9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$6.84 ETB 1,078

-43.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.03 ETB 162

51.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.19 ETB 345

29.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.97 ETB 153

140.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.63 ETB 99.6

203.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.88 ETB 296

17.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.70 ETB 110

44.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.69 ETB 108

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$4.03 ETB 636

-17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$5.70 ETB 899

316.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$0.99 ETB 156

181.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.84 ETB 290

55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.45 ETB 228

-68.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.27 ETB 42.53

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$1.98 ETB 312

208.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.29 ETB 204

-38.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$55.2K ETB 8.7M

-52.59%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$54.6K ETB 8.6M

-41.13%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$159 ETB 25.0K

-49.65%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$11.83 ETB 1,864

-65.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$131 ETB 20.6K

-82.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$5.77 ETB 910

-28.08%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$79.9 ETB 12.6K

280.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$41.0K ETB 6.5M

-83.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$46.94 ETB 7,398

18.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$75.1 ETB 11.8K

-48.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$94.1 ETB 14.8K

-5.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$115 ETB 18.1K

-32.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Assela: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $268, 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 76% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,208 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 $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $79.9 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 $36.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $806 in Assela versus $1,419 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 76% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.