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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $490 in Ba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $806 in Ba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,122 in Ba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 187% more expensive than in Ba, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ba is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$1.96 FJD 4.38

76.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$30.04 FJD 67.2

7.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.88 FJD 13.17

-17.69%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.05 FJD 4.58

34.15%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.02 FJD 2.29

35.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.66 FJD 1.48

13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.19 FJD 7.14

-6.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.53 FJD 7.90

9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.29 FJD 2.89

34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.49 FJD 1.10

402.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.21 FJD 2.70

-3.31%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$3.35 FJD 7.50

-27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.51 FJD 21.29

52.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.08 FJD 15.85

-38.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$7.54 FJD 16.88

58.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.53 FJD 5.67

47.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.52 FJD 5.64

-35.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$3.38 FJD 7.57

-18.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.29 FJD 7.37

-31.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.54 FJD 3.44

24.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.18 FJD 2.64

93.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.21 FJD 2.70

-12.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.82 FJD 1.83

-12.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$9.86 FJD 22.07

-66.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.12 FJD 4.73

31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$3.41 FJD 7.63

-19.94%

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

$0.85 FJD 1.90

-43.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$8.67 FJD 19.41

-28.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.40 FJD 3.13

-42.14%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$24.4K FJD 54.7K

8.96%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$25.2K FJD 56.3K

27.92%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$45.95 FJD 103

70.51%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$13.03 FJD 29.16

-68.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$23.83 FJD 53.3

2.10%

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

$4.34 FJD 9.71

-8.06%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$229 FJD 514

32.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$14.3K FJD 31.9K

-53.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$26.30 FJD 58.9

105.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$27.42 FJD 61.4

37.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$70.0 FJD 157

24.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$61.3 FJD 137

24.57%

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

$388 FJD 869

-56.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

232.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ba: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Ba pays 132% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Ba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $219 per month, with Ba 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 Ba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba wins on cost – living expenses run 187% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Ba. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $229 in Ba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $490 in Ba versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $490 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ba 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 Ba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 187% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.