Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $669 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$669

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $669 in Balikpapan.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Balikpapan $669

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,057 in Balikpapan.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Balikpapan $1,057

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,444 in Balikpapan.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Balikpapan $1,444

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 102% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$1.40 Rp 25.4K

137.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.3K

$10.88 Rp 197.7K

227.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.5K

$3.02 Rp 54.8K

83.11%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

102.99%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.35 Rp 6,320

385.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.39 Rp 7,034

94.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$2.25 Rp 40.8K

17.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$3.51 Rp 63.7K

24.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.13 Rp 20.5K

31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

117.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.17 Rp 21.3K

1.71%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.43 Rp 44.1K

-16.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.5K

$7.14 Rp 129.7K

147.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$2.98 Rp 54.1K

32.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.4K

$8.63 Rp 156.8K

41.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$2.18 Rp 39.6K

67.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.31 Rp 23.7K

16.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$1.54 Rp 28.0K

44.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

65.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

54.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.95 Rp 35.5K

24.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.84 Rp 15.3K

17.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,324

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

24.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.9K

$21.12 Rp 383.5K

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.79 Rp 32.6K

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.98 Rp 54.0K

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,559

$0.23 Rp 4,151

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.1K

$11.50 Rp 208.8K

-32.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,982

$1.11 Rp 20.2K

-60.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,811

$0.29 Rp 5,189

48.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

92.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.75 Rp 13.7K

9.33%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.0M

$23.2K Rp 420.9M

2.88%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.6M

$31.4K Rp 570.2M

1.12%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$64.1 Rp 1.2M

23.30%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.1K

$4.19 Rp 76.1K

53.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.4K

$29.48 Rp 535.4K

-36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 898.7K

$23.84 Rp 432.9K

107.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.5K

$8.27 Rp 150.3K

113.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$2.82 Rp 51.3K

51.42%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$91.6 Rp 1.7M

435.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$9,145 Rp 166.1M

-37.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.7K

$37.81 Rp 686.7K

18.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.8K

$18.66 Rp 338.9K

87.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$140 Rp 2.5M

-42.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$70.6 Rp 1.3M

12.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$197 Rp 3.6M

471.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$143 Rp 2.6M

368.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$559 Rp 10.2M

537.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$362 Rp 6.6M

376.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$1,323 Rp 24.0M

106.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$777 Rp 14.1M

193.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$238 Rp 4.3M

-31.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.46

45.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Balikpapan

$143 21.4% 78.7% $528

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Balikpapan

$206 30.8% 28.6% $83

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Balikpapan

$58 8.6% 46.6% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Balikpapan

$120 18% 11.8% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Balikpapan

$98 14.6% 6% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 49.2% $29

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Balikpapan

$15 2.2% 30.9% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $197 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Balikpapan pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $11 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

701,066

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Balikpapan 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Balikpapan

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $669 in Balikpapan, so Balikpapan is about 50% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $197 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 32% less than in Balikpapan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $92 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $669 in Balikpapan versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Balikpapan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.