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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $955 in Balakovo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,410 in Balakovo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,866 in Balakovo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 47% more expensive than Balakovo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Balakovo is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$10.24 ₽742

-65.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$25.07 ₽1,817

29.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.98 ₽361

-2.41%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.40 ₽101

96.43%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.85 ₽61.3

55.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.36 ₽26.04

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.16 ₽84.4

150.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$1.25 ₽90.6

203.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.88 ₽63.7

94.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.49 ₽35.50

404.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.77 ₽56.1

55.84%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.56 ₽113

56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$9.17 ₽665

56.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.83 ₽277

12.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$8.60 ₽623

41.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.36 ₽98.6

170.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.81 ₽131

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.23 ₽162

25.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$2.35 ₽170

-0.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.50 ₽36.02

294.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.51 ₽36.62

352.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.74 ₽53.8

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.60 ₽43.75

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.08 ₽223

6.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.87 ₽63.1

222.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.24 ₽162

24.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.50 ₽36.03

-42.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$7.42 ₽538

8.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$3.47 ₽251

-87.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.35 ₽25.45

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$3.84 ₽278

62.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.76 ₽54.9

11.84%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$18.3K ₽1.3M

42.29%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$20.6K ₽1.5M

53.73%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$118 ₽8,561

-31.65%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$6.58 ₽477

-38.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$8.21 ₽595

197.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$35.46 ₽2,569

175.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.10 ₽297

-1.46%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$323 ₽23.4K

-5.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$6,090 ₽441.3K

8.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$98.0 ₽7,104

-44.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$46.88 ₽3,397

-17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$125 ₽9,083

-31.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$75.2 ₽5,446

2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$439 ₽31.8K

124.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$302 ₽21.9K

117.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$761 ₽55.1K

342.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$510 ₽37.0K

305.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Balakovo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $439 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 $297 vs $155 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 47% 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 $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,432 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $439 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 9% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $323 in Balakovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $955 in Balakovo versus $1,404 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 $955 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 47% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.