Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bocas del Toro

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,475 in Bocas del Toro, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bocas del Toro outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Bocas del Toro, Panama
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Bocas del Toro
🇵🇦 Panama
$1,475
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Bocas del Toro

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 Bocas del Toro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,475 in Bocas del Toro.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Bocas del Toro $1,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,088 in Bocas del Toro.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Bocas del Toro $2,088

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,701 in Bocas del Toro.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Bocas del Toro $2,701

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 9% less than in Bocas del Toro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$9.24 PAB 9.24
-64.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$50.3 PAB 50.3
-29.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$9.89 PAB 9.89
-44.08%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$4.12 PAB 4.12
-33.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$1.74 PAB 1.74
-2.30%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$1.58 PAB 1.58
-51.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$1.96 PAB 1.96
35.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$4.03 PAB 4.03
8.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$2.03 PAB 2.03
-26.60%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$3.84 PAB 3.84
-40.63%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
-
-
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$2.57 PAB 2.57
-20.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$17.18 PAB 17.18
3.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$8.89 PAB 8.89
-55.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$8.18 PAB 8.18
49.02%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$9.78 PAB 9.78
-62.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.52 PAB 1.52
-
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$4.82 PAB 4.82
-59.13%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.22 PAB 3.22
-42.55%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$1.59 PAB 1.59
-67.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$2.80 PAB 2.80
-19.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$2.44 PAB 2.44
21.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$40.57 PAB 40.57
-84.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$35.60 PAB 35.60
-47.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$758 PAB 758
48.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$896 PAB 896
-25.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$1,193 PAB 1,193
198.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$1,214 PAB 1,214
41.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Bocas del Toro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$712 PAB 712
-77.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
0
-

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bocas del Toro: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Bocas del Toro
–
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Bocas del Toro
–
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Bocas del Toro
–
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Bocas del Toro
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Bocas del Toro
–
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Bocas del Toro
–
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Bocas del Toro
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $758 in Bocas del Toro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bocas del Toro pays about 4.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $50 in Bocas del Toro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $319 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇦 Bocas del Toro
🕒 Local time
22:13 10:13 PM
09:13 9:13 AM
13 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
159,228
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,228 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.11 PAB (1 PAB = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Bocas del Toro 18,090 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Bocas del Toro

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 Bocas del Toro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Bocas del Toro?
Ubud, Bali and Bocas del Toro differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($1,349 vs $1,475 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 77% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Bocas del Toro?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $758 in Bocas del Toro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $50 in Bocas del Toro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Bocas del Toro?
All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,475 in Bocas del Toro – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Bocas del Toro?
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.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Bocas del Toro?
It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Bocas del Toro on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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