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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $920 in Balakovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,392 in Balakovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,864 in Balakovo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 56% more expensive than Balakovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Balakovo is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$10.35 ₽777

-65.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$25.14 ₽1,889

29.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.98 ₽374

1.81%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.41 ₽106

100.71%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.88 ₽66.2

52.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.36 ₽26.99

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.16 ₽86.8

157.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$1.26 ₽94.4

205.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.85 ₽63.6

104.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.52 ₽39.20

388.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.78 ₽58.8

52.56%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.54 ₽116

57.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$9.02 ₽677

62.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.78 ₽284

10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$8.30 ₽623

43.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.30 ₽97.5

183.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.80 ₽135

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$2.28 ₽171

17.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$2.35 ₽177

-0.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.53 ₽39.52

260.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.50 ₽37.71

338.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.80 ₽59.8

32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.61 ₽46.16

18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.96 ₽223

5.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.94 ₽70.4

191.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.23 ₽168

29.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.50 ₽37.20

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$7.80 ₽586

4.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$3.51 ₽264

-87.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.36 ₽26.80

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$3.88 ₽291

58.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.71 ₽53.5

18.31%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$18.1K ₽1.4M

44.69%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$20.3K ₽1.5M

60.18%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$118 ₽8,841

-33.38%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$6.55 ₽492

-39.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$8.17 ₽613

198.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$35.13 ₽2,638

174.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.14 ₽311

-2.42%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$313 ₽23.5K

-3.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$6,089 ₽457.4K

7.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$99.6 ₽7,479

-45.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$47.96 ₽3,602

-20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$125 ₽9,399

-30.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$77.7 ₽5,837

1.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$441 ₽33.1K

129.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$304 ₽22.8K

121.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$754 ₽56.6K

349.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$504 ₽37.8K

316.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

15.33

-13.37%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Balakovo: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $441 in Balakovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Balakovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $154 per month, with Balakovo 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 Balakovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balakovo wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Balakovo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,380 in Balakovo 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $441 in Balakovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Balakovo runs roughly 5% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $313 in Balakovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $920 in Balakovo versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Balakovo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Balakovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Balakovo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $920 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Balakovo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Balakovo 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 Balakovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.