Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Boone, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $1,998 in Boone, NC, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Boone, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$1,998
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Boone, NC

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 Boone, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,998 in Boone, NC.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,348
  • Boone, NC $1,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,738 in Boone, NC.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,312
  • Boone, NC $2,738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,478 in Boone, NC.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,276
  • Boone, NC $3,478

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 33% less than in Boone, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Boone, NC 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$11.81 $11.81
-71.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.42 Rp 633.1K
$76.6 $76.6
-53.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 Rp 102.9K
$9.41 $9.41
-38.79%
Cappuccino
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
$4.68 $4.68
-43.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
$2.53 $2.53
-31.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$1.99 $1.99
-61.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$5.38 $5.38
-49.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 Rp 80.8K
$7.03 $7.03
-35.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
$0.93 $0.93
64.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 Rp 39.2K
$3.87 $3.87
-43.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
$4.28 $4.28
-71.50%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$2.54 $2.54
-15.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.73 Rp 316.9K
$14.94 $14.94
18.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 68.9K
$10.83 $10.83
-64.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 Rp 215.0K
$6.71 $6.71
79.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 Rp 64.5K
$6.78 $6.78
-46.76%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$1.50 $1.50
0.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.4K
$4.48 $4.48
-48.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
$4.35 $4.35
-54.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
$4.43 $4.43
-59.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$4.25 $4.25
-43.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$1.76 $1.76
-43.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,373
$1.97 $1.97
-73.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
$8.07 $8.07
-72.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.98 Rp 410.7K
$12.75 $12.75
80.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 Rp 42.8K
$1.64 $1.64
46.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
$1.72 $1.72
74.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,255
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.99 Rp 125.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,876
$3.47 $3.47
-87.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,582
$1.51 $1.51
-72.19%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.4K
$18.21 $18.21
-70.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$0.78 $0.78
7.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 434.8M
$34.7K $34.7K
-29.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 570.0M
$25.1K $25.1K
27.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
$82.0 $82.0
-1.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.58 Rp 117.6K
$44.43 $44.43
-85.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.24 Rp 326.1K
$56.7 $56.7
-67.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 Rp 985.4K
$69.4 $69.4
-20.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.51 Rp 330.9K
$49.11 $49.11
-62.31%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
$11.76 $11.76
-63.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$486 Rp 8.7M
$1,724 $1,724
-71.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
$9,946 $9,946
-42.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.18 Rp 807.6K
$52.1 $52.1
-13.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.57 Rp 617.9K
$36.04 $36.04
-4.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
$85.1 $85.1
-6.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
$133 $133
-41.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 Rp 20.1M
$1,129 $1,129
-0.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 12.1M
$917 $917
-26.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
$1,516 $1,516
138.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
$1,039 $1,039
66.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
$3,669 $3,669
-22.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,307 Rp 41.2M
$3,750 $3,750
-38.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Boone, NC
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$3,972 $3,972
-95.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.1
125.90%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Boone, NC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$674
Boone, NC
$917 36.1% $243
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Boone, NC
$367 26.4% $76
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Boone, NC
$238 120% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Boone, NC
$138 29.3% $31
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$106
Boone, NC
$183 73.3% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$64
Boone, NC
$93 46.1% $29
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Boone, NC
$11 * 5.1% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $1,129 in Boone, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boone, NC pays 2298% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $77.0 in Boone, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $367 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Boone, NC
🕒 Local time
22:21 10:21 PM
10:21 10:21 AM
12 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
19,562
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Boone, NC 16,490 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Boone, NC

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 Boone, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Boone, NC?
Ubud, Bali and Boone, NC differ by about 48% in total monthly costs ($1,348 vs $1,998 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 2298% lower in Boone, NC. 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 Boone, NC?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,129 in Boone, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Boone, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Boone, NC?
All in, you'll spend $1,348 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,998 in Boone, NC – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,998 in Boone, NC, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Boone, NC. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Boone, NC?
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.
Is Ubud, Bali or Boone, NC safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Boone, NC are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Boone, NC?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Boone, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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