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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $783 in Belem.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,254 in Belem.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,724 in Belem.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 80% more expensive than in Belem, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Belem is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$4.43 R$22.66

-22.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$28.89 R$148

11.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$6.26 R$32.02

-22.68%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.60 R$8.16

71.87%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.93 R$4.73

48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.47 R$2.38

59.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.60 R$8.16

86.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$3.51 R$17.93

9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.15 R$5.90

51.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.11 R$10.79

16.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.25 R$6.36

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.98 R$10.11

22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$10.31 R$52.7

40.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$3.95 R$20.18

10.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$6.71 R$34.28

78.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.71 R$8.74

117.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.73 R$8.83

-5.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.29 R$6.59

112.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.46 R$7.47

53.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.92 R$4.72

108.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.55 R$2.81

314.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.03 R$5.27

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.35 R$6.88

-46.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$2.49 R$12.74

32.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$9.88 R$50.5

134.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.31 R$6.70

112.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$4.56 R$23.32

-40.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.74 R$3.80

-63.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$21.48 R$110

-62.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.11 R$5.67

-56.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.74 R$3.79

-43.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$8.84 R$45.17

-29.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.04 R$5.30

-22.12%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$16.1K R$82.3K

65.22%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$29.0K R$148.0K

11.16%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$111 R$568

-29.50%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$14.53 R$74.3

-71.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$21.28 R$109

14.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$21.25 R$109

364.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$21.56 R$110

-70.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.21 R$31.76

-35.75%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$101 R$514

203.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$3,082 R$15.7K

115.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$32.98 R$169

64.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$28.89 R$148

30.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$75.8 R$387

14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$41.88 R$214

82.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$435 R$2,225

127.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$188 R$962

257.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$800 R$4,091

321.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$466 R$2,382

339.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,951 R$9,972

43.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,369 R$6,995

62.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$409 R$2,090

-59.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

12.2

8.85%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Belem: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $435 in Belem. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belem pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in Belem for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $207 per month, with Belem 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 Belem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Belem is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 80% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Belem. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $435 in Belem. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Belem runs roughly 165% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $101 in Belem. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $783 in Belem versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Belem but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Belem the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Belem is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Belem 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 Belem gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.