Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bien Hoa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bien Hoa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $625 in Bien Hoa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $893 in Bien Hoa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,161 in Bien Hoa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 125% more expensive than Bien Hoa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Bien Hoa is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$1.96 ₫51.5K

82.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$11.48 ₫301.3K

183.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.56 ₫119.7K

6.58%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.16 ₫30.5K

137.07%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.45 ₫11.7K

193.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.23 ₫6,050

204.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$0.56 ₫14.7K

419.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$0.75 ₫19.8K

405.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.27 ₫33.3K

34.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.76 ₫19.9K

225.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.87 ₫23.0K

37.93%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.40 ₫36.8K

74.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$11.87 ₫311.7K

21.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$1.88 ₫49.4K

129.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$9.64 ₫253.0K

26.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.08 ₫54.5K

76.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.11 ₫29.2K

39.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.17 ₫30.7K

138.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.94 ₫24.8K

147.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.11 ₫29.2K

77.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.23 ₫32.3K

87.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.44 ₫11.5K

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.47 ₫12.2K

55.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$1.28 ₫33.6K

156.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$7.76 ₫203.8K

193.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.40 ₫10.4K

602.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.76 ₫19.9K

265.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.35 ₫9,092

-17.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$7.08 ₫185.8K

13.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.40 ₫10.5K

12.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.65 ₫17.1K

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

433.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.84 ₫22.0K

1.19%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$38.1K ₫999.0M

-31.73%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$28.1K ₫737.4M

12.70%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$51.4 ₫1.4M

57.01%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$4.25 ₫111.6K

-4.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$7.04 ₫184.9K

246.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$10.76 ₫282.4K

807.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$7.60 ₫199.5K

-15.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$3.41 ₫89.5K

18.48%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$65.8 ₫1.7M

361.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$14.1K ₫371.2M

-53.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$17.30 ₫454.1K

213.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$15.22 ₫399.6K

154.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.7 ₫1.9M

21.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$85.6 ₫2.2M

-10.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$358 ₫9.4M

175.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$246 ₫6.5M

166.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$424 ₫11.1M

695.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$308 ₫8.1M

570.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,549 ₫40.7M

76.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$618 ₫16.2M

260.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$338 ₫8.9M

-51.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.8

70.26%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Bien Hoa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $358 in Bien Hoa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bien Hoa pays 107% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Bien Hoa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $162 per month, with Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bien Hoa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 125% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bien Hoa earns 107% less. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $358 in Bien Hoa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bien Hoa – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $625 in Bien Hoa versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bien Hoa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bien Hoa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa 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 Bien Hoa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.