Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Boston, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $4,275 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $35,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
204

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
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Boston, MA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Boston, MA

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,275 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Boston, MA $4,275

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $6,046 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Boston, MA $6,046

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $7,816 in Boston, MA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Boston, MA $7,816

Ubud, Bali is about 68% cheaper than Boston, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$27.91 $27.91

-88.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

$122 $122

-70.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$11.87 $11.87

-53.41%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$5.32 $5.32

-48.87%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.99 $2.99

-43.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$2.28 $2.28

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$8.15 $8.15

-67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$8.95 $8.95

-51.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.21 $1.21

23.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$4.41 $4.41

-48.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$7.23 $7.23

-83.54%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$6.08 $6.08

-66.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

$15.44 $15.44

14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$14.08 $14.08

-71.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$19.08 $19.08

-36.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$7.18 $7.18

-49.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.99 $1.99

-23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$5.36 $5.36

-58.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$7.69 $7.69

-74.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$4.56 $4.56

-59.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$4.00 $4.00

-39.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.89 $2.89

-65.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$2.98 $2.98

-82.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$13.39 $13.39

-83.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

$15.33 $15.33

45.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$3.10 $3.10

-27.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$4.56 $4.56

-34.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

$2.38 $2.38

-89.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

$89.5 $89.5

-91.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

$2.58 $2.58

-82.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

$1.80 $1.80

-76.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

$27.46 $27.46

-80.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.15 $1.15

-28.70%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

$29.4K $29.4K

-18.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

$26.0K $26.0K

22.02%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$243 $243

-67.53%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$56.1 $56.1

-88.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$84.2 $84.2

-77.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

$68.0 $68.0

-27.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

$41.11 $41.11

-57.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$15.68 $15.68

-72.77%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$2,653 $2,653

-81.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

$36.5K $36.5K

-84.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$73.9 $73.9

-39.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$51.9 $51.9

-32.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$111 $111

-27.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$155 $155

-48.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$3,400 $3,400

-66.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$2,587 $2,587

-74.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$5,840 $5,840

-38.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$3,908 $3,908

-55.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$14.0K $14.0K

-80.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$6,470 $6,470

-64.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$5,753 $5,753

-97.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.66

106.91%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Boston, MA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Boston, MA

$2.6K 60.5% 285% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Boston, MA

$515 12.1% 78.7% $227

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Boston, MA

$403 9.4% 274% $295

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Boston, MA

$176 4.1% 63.9% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Boston, MA

$384 9% 269% $280

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Boston, MA

$99 2.3% 71.2% $41

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Boston, MA

$111 2.6% 869% $99

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,400 in Boston, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Boston, MA are about 35 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 in Boston, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $515 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🕒 Local time

05:36 5:36 AM

17:36 5:36 PM

12 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

675,647

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Boston, MA 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Boston, MA

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 Boston, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boston, MA costs about 217% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $6,413 in Boston, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $3,400 in Boston, MA.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Boston, MA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Boston, MA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $4,275 in Boston, MA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,349 versus $4,275 in Boston, MA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boston, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.