Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Berkeley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Berkeley, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,878
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Berkeley, CA

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Berkeley, CA $3,878

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,546 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Berkeley, CA $5,546

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $7,215 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Berkeley, CA $7,215

Ubud, Bali is about 65% cheaper than Berkeley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Berkeley, CA sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Berkeley, CA by 187%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$22.39 $22.39
-85.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$80.3 $80.3
-56.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$10.52 $10.52
-44.87%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$6.07 $6.07
-55.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$3.25 $3.25
-49.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$3.08 $3.08
-73.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$5.90 $5.90
-54.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$7.65 $7.65
-43.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$2.00 $2.00
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$4.54 $4.54
-49.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$5.74 $5.74
-79.44%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$6.07 $6.07
-64.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$26.78 $26.78
-34.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$16.58 $16.58
-75.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$21.69 $21.69
-43.61%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$7.14 $7.14
-50.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$2.57 $2.57
-38.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$6.21 $6.21
-63.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$10.45 $10.45
-81.53%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$3.58 $3.58
-47.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$4.84 $4.84
-52.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.53 $2.53
-60.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$3.08 $3.08
-82.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$11.57 $11.57
-80.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$12.82 $12.82
79.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$2.06 $2.06
13.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.78 $2.78
4.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$2.47 $2.47
-90.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$93.1 $93.1
-90.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$3.41 $3.41
-85.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.89 $1.89
-75.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$39.52 $39.52
-86.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.47 $1.47
-40.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$37.7K $37.7K
-34.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$26.1K $26.1K
19.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$180 $180
-53.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$61.7 $61.7
-89.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$76.7 $76.7
-75.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$49.54 $49.54
12.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$7.94 $7.94
128.09%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$15.27 $15.27
-71.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$2,565 $2,565
-80.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$35.2K $35.2K
-83.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$71.2 $71.2
-35.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$70.5 $70.5
-49.87%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$96.2 $96.2
-17.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$235 $235
-66.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$2,594 $2,594
-55.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$2,219 $2,219
-69.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$4,778 $4,778
-26.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$3,487 $3,487
-51.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$8,047 $8,047
-65.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$7,245 $7,245
-69.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Berkeley, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$6,775 $6,775
-97.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.62
108.16%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berkeley, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Berkeley, CA
$2.2K 228% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Berkeley, CA
$578 99.1% $288
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Berkeley, CA
$354 225% $245
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Berkeley, CA
$319 195% $211
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Berkeley, CA
$213 97.8% $105
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Berkeley, CA
$80 24% $16
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Berkeley, CA
$116 823% $103

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,594 in Berkeley, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4017% higher in Berkeley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $80.0 in Berkeley, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $578 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA
🕒 Local time
10:50 10:50 AM
19:50 7:50 PM
15 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
121,363
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Berkeley, CA 13,420 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Berkeley, CA

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 Berkeley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Berkeley, CA cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 184%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $5,817 in Berkeley, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 956% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,565 in Berkeley, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Berkeley, CA?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Berkeley, CA more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Berkeley, CA?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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