Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $471 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Babol, Iran
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Babol
🇮🇷 Iran
$471
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Babol

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Babol actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $471 in Babol, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Babol $471

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $733 in Babol, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Babol $733

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $994 in Babol, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Babol $994

Ubud, Bali costs about 186% more than Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$2.94 $2.94
12.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$10.80 $10.80
230.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$4.02 $4.02
37.56%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.49 $0.49
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.66 $0.66
-
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$1.05 $1.05
159.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.29 $0.29
486.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$1.72 $1.72
-55.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$0.71 $0.71
109.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$0.22 $0.22
936.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.47 $2.47
-51.82%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$1.22 $1.22
67.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$2.02 $2.02
776.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$3.27 $3.27
21.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$9.23 $9.23
32.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$1.22 $1.22
200.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.41 $1.41
7.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$0.48 $0.48
364.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$0.48 $0.48
310.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$0.29 $0.29
537.93%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$0.29 $0.29
734.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.29 $0.29
241.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$0.14 $0.14
264.29%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.78 $0.78
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.54 $0.54
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.18 $2.18
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$2.24 $2.24
-0.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$0.16 $0.16
56.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$9.65 $9.65
-18.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$0.51 $0.51
-13.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$0.29 $0.29
48.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$2.94 $2.94
84.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.08 $0.08
925.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$49.2K $49.2K
-51.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$30.1K $30.1K
5.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$12.91 $12.91
512.39%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$1.52 $1.52
324.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$3.84 $3.84
383.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$18.51 $18.51
167.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
$13.57 $13.57
30.07%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$1.94 $1.94
120.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$48.02 $48.02
921.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$2,397 $2,397
136.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$19.85 $19.85
124.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$14.97 $14.97
133.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$53.6 $53.6
48.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$39.31 $39.31
102.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$289 $289
288.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$207 $207
223.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$779 $779
357.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$359 $359
379.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$911 $911
199.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$596 $596
283.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Babol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$130 $130
25.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
23.75
-41.98%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Babol
$207 69.1% $464
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Babol
$97 66.3% $191
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Babol
$56 47.8% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Babol
$57 46.5% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Babol
$18 82.4% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Babol
$22 61.4% $36
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Babol
$12 7.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $289 in Babol. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Ubud, Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $11 in Babol. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $97 – making Babol the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇷 Babol
🕒 Local time
05:50 5:50 AM
01:20 1:20 AM
4 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
220,000
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Babol 8,210 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Babol

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Babol compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $471 in Babol – Babol comes out roughly 65% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Babol?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $707 in Babol. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Babol?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Babol, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do commuting costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Babol?
Public transport costs about 19% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Babol?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $48 in Babol. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Babol, where all-in costs run around $471, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Babol it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Ubud, Bali or Babol?
Families tend to lean toward Babol – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Babol?
If budget matters most, go with Babol. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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