Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Balakovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Balakovo: $1,026 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Balakovo
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,026
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Balakovo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,026 in Balakovo.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,348
  • Balakovo $1,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,611 in Balakovo.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,312
  • Balakovo $1,611

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,195 in Balakovo.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,276
  • Balakovo $2,195

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 31% more expensive than in Balakovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Balakovo is 23% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$7.16 ₽610
-53.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.42 Rp 633.1K
$38.31 ₽3,260
-7.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 Rp 102.9K
$7.30 ₽621
-21.10%
Cappuccino
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
$3.81 ₽324
-30.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
$1.16 ₽98.8
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$0.60 ₽51.2
28.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$1.61 ₽137
68.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 Rp 80.8K
$3.04 ₽258
48.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
$1.13 ₽96.3
35.40%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 Rp 39.2K
$0.79 ₽67.1
178.48%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
$1.65 ₽140
-26.06%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$1.52 ₽129
40.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.73 Rp 316.9K
$11.44 ₽973
54.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 68.9K
$4.68 ₽399
-17.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 Rp 215.0K
$11.36 ₽967
5.90%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 Rp 64.5K
$1.78 ₽151
102.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$1.88 ₽160
-19.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.4K
$1.77 ₽150
31.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
$2.80 ₽239
-28.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
$0.85 ₽72.3
112.94%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$0.82 ₽69.7
191.46%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$1.55 ₽132
-36.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,373
$0.58 ₽49.21
-10.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
$2.76 ₽235
-21.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.98 Rp 410.7K
$10.80 ₽919
112.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 Rp 42.8K
$1.56 ₽132
53.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
$2.59 ₽220
15.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,255
$0.51 ₽43.38
-52.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.99 Rp 125.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,876
$1.04 ₽88.3
-57.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,582
$0.28 ₽24.00
50.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.4K
$5.78 ₽492
-5.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$0.84 ₽71.4
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 434.8M
$39.1K ₽3.3M
-37.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 570.0M
$36.8K ₽3.1M
-13.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
$97.7 ₽8,314
-17.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.58 Rp 117.6K
$5.44 ₽463
20.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.24 Rp 326.1K
$7.47 ₽636
144.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 Rp 985.4K
$29.90 ₽2,544
84.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.51 Rp 330.9K
$27.02 ₽2,299
-31.50%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
$5.85 ₽498
-27.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$486 Rp 8.7M
$338 ₽28.7K
43.86%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
$3,589 ₽305.4K
58.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.18 Rp 807.6K
$110 ₽9,346
-58.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.57 Rp 617.9K
$48.35 ₽4,115
-28.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
$140 ₽11.9K
-43.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
$83.8 ₽7,130
-7.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 Rp 20.1M
$496 ₽42.2K
127.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 12.1M
$308 ₽26.2K
118.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
$955 ₽81.3K
278.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
$535 ₽45.5K
224.04%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
$2,103 ₽178.9K
34.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,307 Rp 41.2M
$1,492 ₽126.9K
54.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Balakovo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$449 ₽38.2K
-63.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
20.43
-32.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Balakovo: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$674
Balakovo
$308 54.2% $366
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Balakovo
$217 25.3% $73
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Balakovo
$146 35.2% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Balakovo
$172 61.6% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$106
Balakovo
$111 4.7% $5
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$64
Balakovo
$42 34.6% $22
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Balakovo
$4.5 * 57.2% $6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $496 in Balakovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balakovo pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Balakovo. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $217, with Balakovo cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇷🇺 Balakovo
🕒 Local time
16:53 4:53 PM
12:53 12:53 PM
4 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
186,012
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.44 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Balakovo 9,260 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Balakovo

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 Balakovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Balakovo?
Balakovo wins on cost – living expenses run 31% 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.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Balakovo?
On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Balakovo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Balakovo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $496 in Balakovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Balakovo?
Childcare runs $486 in Ubud, Bali versus $338 in Balakovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Balakovo?
Dining out is cheaper in Balakovo – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Balakovo?
At $1,026 in Balakovo versus $1,348 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Balakovo?
Both work as nomad bases, but Balakovo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,026 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Balakovo hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Balakovo?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Balakovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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