Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Boracay

For one person, living is cheaper in Boracay: $767 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Boracay
Learn more

Boracay Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Boracay

🇵🇭 Philippines

$767

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Boracay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $767 in Boracay.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Boracay $767

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,309 in Boracay.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Boracay $1,309

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,852 in Boracay.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Boracay $1,852

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than in Boracay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Boracay is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$5.41 ₱341

-40.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$19.31 ₱1,216

80.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.92 ₱373

-3.72%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.34 ₱147

11.97%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.65 ₱41.15

164.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.23 ₱14.45

252.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.16 ₱73.1

128.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$1.88 ₱118

132.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$2.84 ₱179

-44.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.21 ₱76.3

80.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.91 ₱57.4

29.67%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.89 ₱119

14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$5.35 ₱337

229.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.69 ₱295

-19.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$7.68 ₱484

55.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.64 ₱166

36.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.56 ₱98.0

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.62 ₱165

-11.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.27 ₱79.7

50.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.83 ₱115

-2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.72 ₱108

35.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.89 ₱56.3

12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.51 ₱31.88

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.28 ₱144

0.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$7.74 ₱487

185.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.05 ₱66.0

123.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.05 ₱129

45.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.26 ₱16.36

-11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$11.28 ₱710

-21.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.77 ₱48.21

-38.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.19 ₱11.90

126.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$1.82 ₱114

200.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.12 ₱70.5

-25.89%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

16.36%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$17.4K ₱1.1M

88.29%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$109 ₱6,893

-26.93%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$14.77 ₱930

-55.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$34.01 ₱2,141

-45.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$35.58 ₱2,240

52.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$5.31 ₱334

244.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.03 ₱317

-15.51%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$113 ₱7,126

335.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$7,986 ₱502.8K

-29.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$32.97 ₱2,076

38.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$20.20 ₱1,272

73.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$64.0 ₱4,031

21.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$53.1 ₱3,345

47.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$263 ₱16.6K

329.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$173 ₱10.9K

289.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$520 ₱32.7K

594.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$619 ₱39.0K

174.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$2,427 ₱152.8K

11.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$996 ₱62.7K

124.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$226 ₱14.2K

-26.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.79

102.95%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Boracay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Boracay

$173 22.5% 74.3% $500

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Boracay

$197 25.7% 31.4% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Boracay

$77 10% 28.1% $30

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Boracay

$102 13.3% 3.9% $4.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Boracay

$158 20.6% 50.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Boracay

$46 6% 27.1% $17

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Boracay

$14 1.8% 12.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $263 in Boracay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boracay pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Boracay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $197 per month, with Boracay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇵🇭 Boracay

🕒 Local time

23:16 11:16 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

12,296

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Boracay 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Boracay

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 Boracay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Boracay differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,353 vs $767 including rent). Boracay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Boracay. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $263 in Boracay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Boracay – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $767 in Boracay versus $1,353 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 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.