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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $703 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,132 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,560 in Bortala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 98% more expensive than in Bortala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bortala is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$2.87 ¥19.34

24.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.1K

$20.79 ¥140

55.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$5.01 ¥33.78

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.09 ¥20.86

-8.74%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.44 ¥2.95

206.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.27 ¥1.79

170.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$0.87 ¥5.85

236.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.06 ¥13.86

91.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.77 ¥11.95

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$1.61 ¥10.88

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$0.89 ¥5.97

29.21%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.65 ¥11.11

46.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.0K

$13.04 ¥87.9

9.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$3.06 ¥20.63

36.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.9K

$10.14 ¥68.4

18.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.73 ¥11.67

110.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.20 ¥8.10

30.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$1.40 ¥9.47

99.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.09 ¥7.33

105.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$0.67 ¥4.52

195.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.98 ¥6.59

132.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.60 ¥4.06

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.51 ¥3.44

54.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$3.12 ¥21.02

2.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.6K

$12.63 ¥85.2

85.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$0.76 ¥5.10

281.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$1.59 ¥10.71

73.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.29 ¥1.97

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.2K

$16.49 ¥111

-49.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,176

$1.43 ¥9.61

-68.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,307

$0.35 ¥2.38

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$6.70 ¥45.17

-9.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.16 ¥7.84

-25.86%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.5M

$19.3K ¥130.1K

37.76%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.3M

$17.0K ¥114.6K

91.42%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$45.05 ¥304

75.41%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$10.05 ¥67.8

-59.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.0K

$11.78 ¥79.4

102.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$41.18 ¥278

139.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.8K

$14.15 ¥95.4

-55.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.4K

$6.25 ¥42.13

-35.84%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$343 ¥2,311

-13.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.3M

$17.2K ¥115.7K

-61.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 965.6K

$43.10 ¥291

23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.8K

$29.91 ¥202

27.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$71.8 ¥484

23.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$75.1 ¥506

2.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$277 ¥1,870

267.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$190 ¥1,283

257.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$599 ¥4,041

478.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$366 ¥2,468

470.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$3,161 ¥21.3K

-13.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$1,671 ¥11.3K

37.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$632 ¥4,258

-74.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Bortala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $277 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 286% 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 Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $201 per month, with Bortala 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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 286% lower in Bortala. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $277 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $703 in Bortala – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 97% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $703 in Bortala versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bortala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bortala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bortala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $703 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bortala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Bortala 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 Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.