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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $785 in Boracay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,413 in Boracay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,041 in Boracay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 81% more expensive than Boracay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Boracay is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$3.13 ₱193

13.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$21.30 ₱1,314

53.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.91 ₱303

0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.36 ₱146

14.83%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.23 ₱75.8

8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.28 ₱17.46

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.30 ₱80.2

124.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.11 ₱130

87.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.75 ₱108

3.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.22 ₱75.1

106.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.85 ₱52.4

36.47%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.64 ₱163

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$7.83 ₱483

87.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$4.30 ₱266

0.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$7.49 ₱462

62.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.98 ₱184

28.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.47 ₱90.6

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.58 ₱159

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.43 ₱88.3

62.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.76 ₱108

8.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.62 ₱162

-16.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.07 ₱66.1

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.71 ₱44.01

9.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.81 ₱235

-12.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$7.95 ₱491

198.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.15 ₱71.2

142.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.96 ₱121

45.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.36 ₱22.51

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.81 ₱49.99

-43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.22 ₱13.57

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$2.19 ₱135

178.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.26 ₱77.9

-37.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$26.4K ₱1.6M

-0.83%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

56.74%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$114 ₱7,039

-29.93%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$8.80 ₱543

-53.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$38.04 ₱2,347

-38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$52.2 ₱3,218

89.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$4.52 ₱279

46.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.12 ₱254

0.73%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$155 ₱9,537

96.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$3,962 ₱244.5K

66.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$46.06 ₱2,842

20.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$26.47 ₱1,633

44.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$76.0 ₱4,689

16.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$53.0 ₱3,269

47.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$269 ₱16.6K

274.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$174 ₱10.8K

287.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$583 ₱35.9K

490.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$758 ₱46.8K

169.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$2,470 ₱152.4K

15.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$983 ₱60.7K

130.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$235 ₱14.5K

-29.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.67

99.10%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Boracay: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $269 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boracay pays 42% 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 $21.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $201 per month, with Boracay 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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Boracay differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $785 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Boracay earns 42% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $269 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $155 in Boracay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $785 in Boracay versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boracay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Boracay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Boracay 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 Boracay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.