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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $733 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,173 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,613 in Bortala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 86% more expensive than in Bortala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Bortala is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.8K

$3.06 ¥20.48

12.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 642.1K

$22.45 ¥150

61.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 100.9K

$5.13 ¥34.37

11.31%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.2K

$2.68 ¥17.95

-0.37%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.9K

$0.50 ¥3.33

250.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.30 ¥2.01

190.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.2K

$1.00 ¥6.72

195.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 79.9K

$2.04 ¥13.64

121.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.6K

$1.88 ¥12.60

-13.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.2K

$1.67 ¥11.17

39.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.92 ¥6.18

20.65%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 38.9K

$1.58 ¥10.60

39.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 312.8K

$13.47 ¥90.3

31.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.4K

$3.49 ¥23.39

17.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.3K

$11.15 ¥74.7

9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.5K

$1.82 ¥12.21

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.26 ¥8.44

26.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.52 ¥10.21

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.5K

$1.30 ¥8.73

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.71 ¥4.78

169.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.2K

$0.96 ¥6.45

142.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.63 ¥4.23

60.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,759

$0.55 ¥3.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.62 ¥24.28

-38.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.0K

$9.79 ¥65.6

135.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.79 ¥5.29

206.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.0K

$1.62 ¥10.82

85.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,807

$0.32 ¥2.12

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 158.9K

$18.32 ¥123

-50.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,554

$1.43 ¥9.57

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,668

$0.35 ¥2.37

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.8K

$6.44 ¥43.12

-12.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.23 ¥8.22

-34.96%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.1M

$19.7K ¥132.0K

26.62%

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

$31.7K Rp 560.7M

$18.5K ¥124.1K

71.16%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$57.2 ¥383

42.49%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.8K

$8.38 ¥56.2

-22.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 331.9K

$11.27 ¥75.5

66.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$40.54 ¥272

40.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.2K

$14.57 ¥97.7

28.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.2K

$6.40 ¥42.90

-29.06%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$452 ¥3,026

6.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.0M

$18.7K ¥125.0K

-69.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 804.9K

$41.90 ¥281

8.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 634.5K

$29.12 ¥195

23.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$73.1 ¥489

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$80.9 ¥542

-2.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$264 ¥1,770

321.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.3M

$171 ¥1,149

306.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.3M

$575 ¥3,856

532.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.7M

$328 ¥2,197

429.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.2M

$3,413 ¥22.9K

-18.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,747 ¥11.7K

31.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$634 ¥4,246

-73.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.38

307.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bortala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $264 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bortala pays 277% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $206 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 86% 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 277% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $264 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $733 in Bortala – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 104% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $733 in Bortala versus $1,368 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 $733 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 86% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.