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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $901 in Bishkek.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,378 in Bishkek.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,855 in Bishkek.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 56% more expensive than in Bishkek, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bishkek is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$6.44 KGS 563

-46.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$21.10 KGS 1,844

53.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$5.69 KGS 498

-14.94%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$2.07 KGS 181

32.85%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.63 KGS 55.4

119.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.36 KGS 31.14

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

$1.22 KGS 106

145.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$1.71 KGS 149

125.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.96 KGS 84.3

81.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$0.50 KGS 43.37

392.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.57 KGS 137

-25.48%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$1.73 KGS 152

40.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$8.20 KGS 717

76.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$4.84 KGS 423

-10.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

$7.93 KGS 693

51.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$1.12 KGS 98.1

232.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.94 KGS 170

-15.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$2.11 KGS 185

29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$1.72 KGS 150

30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$0.55 KGS 48.44

249.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$0.50 KGS 43.48

356.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.55 KGS 48.27

92.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.47 KGS 41.53

53.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$1.76 KGS 154

86.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

$8.18 KGS 715

183.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$1.15 KGS 100

141.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$1.89 KGS 166

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.22 KGS 19.21

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

$11.45 KGS 1,001

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$1.41 KGS 123

-65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

$0.24 KGS 21.00

75.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$3.34 KGS 292

86.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.85 KGS 74.5

-4.71%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$37.2K KGS 3.3M

-28.49%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$33.5K KGS 2.9M

-4.06%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$34.63 KGS 3,027

126.25%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$6.76 KGS 591

-39.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$11.94 KGS 1,044

103.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$42.67 KGS 3,730

131.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

$15.96 KGS 1,395

-60.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$4.49 KGS 393

-11.14%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$200 KGS 17.5K

52.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

$4,546 KGS 397.4K

46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$37.74 KGS 3,300

43.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$40.29 KGS 3,522

-6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$96.0 KGS 8,395

-9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$104 KGS 9,128

-26.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$498 KGS 43.5K

99.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$370 KGS 32.4K

81.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$922 KGS 80.6K

266.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$633 KGS 55.3K

223.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$1,783 KGS 155.8K

57.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$1,176 KGS 102.8K

89.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$490 KGS 42.9K

-65.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

20.2

-34.26%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Bishkek: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $498 in Bishkek. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bishkek pays 194% 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 $21.00 in Bishkek for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $171 per month, with Bishkek 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 Bishkek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bishkek is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 194% lower in Bishkek. 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 $498 in Bishkek. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $200 in Bishkek. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $901 in Bishkek versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bishkek but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bishkek the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bishkek 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 Bishkek 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 Bishkek gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.