Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Brookings, SD, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Brookings, SD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Brookings, SD

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Brookings, SD $2,639

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,597 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Brookings, SD $3,597

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,556 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Brookings, SD $4,556

Ubud, Bali is about 50% cheaper than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ubud, Bali sits 2% below the global median, while Brookings, SD is 95% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$17.36 $17.36
-80.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 629.1K
$39.21 $39.21
-11.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.2K
$11.52 $11.52
-51.65%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.6K
$4.52 $4.52
-42.04%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.46 $2.46
-37.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$2.01 $2.01
-68.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$5.85 $5.85
-54.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.4K
$6.81 $6.81
-37.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$0.89 $0.89
64.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$3.68 $3.68
-37.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$6.44 $6.44
-82.76%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$3.52 $3.52
-40.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.4K
$10.38 $10.38
53.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.5K
$13.66 $13.66
-71.60%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 207.0K
$12.99 $12.99
-12.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.5K
$5.72 $5.72
-37.94%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.81 $1.81
-14.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$6.61 $6.61
-66.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$5.07 $5.07
-61.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$4.46 $4.46
-58.30%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$4.27 $4.27
-43.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$2.28 $2.28
-55.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,483
$2.03 $2.03
-74.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$12.84 $12.84
-82.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.6K
$12.05 $12.05
80.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$2.89 $2.89
-19.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$5.81 $5.81
-48.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,546
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,947
$4.90 $4.90
-91.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,496
$1.67 $1.67
-71.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.7K
$23.75 $23.75
-76.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.04 $1.04
-20.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.8M
$29.6K $29.6K
-17.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.5M
$25.9K $25.9K
22.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$184 $184
-57.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.6K
$57.3 $57.3
-89.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.4K
$69.4 $69.4
-72.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.8K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.3K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$12.03 $12.03
-63.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$1,316 $1,316
-62.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.9M
$36.7K $36.7K
-66.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.9K
$42.51 $42.51
6.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 633.4K
$34.79 $34.79
0.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$88.7 $88.7
-11.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$105 $105
-25.51%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.6M
$1,715 $1,715
-37.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$1,459 $1,459
-54.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$2,051 $2,051
71.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$2,107 $2,107
-20.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.5M
$2,339 $2,339
0.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
$2,374 $2,374
-5.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Brookings, SD
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.5
150.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Brookings, SD
$1.5K 120% $794
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Brookings, SD
$421 50.6% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Brookings, SD
$122 14.5% $15
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Brookings, SD
$288 173% $183
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Brookings, SD
$311 203% $209
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Brookings, SD
$24 * 59.7% $36
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Brookings, SD
$13 * 10.8% $1.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $39 in Brookings, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $421 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Brookings, SD
🕒 Local time
01:36 1:36 AM
11:36 11:36 AM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
18,802
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,353 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Brookings, SD 14,980 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Brookings, SD?
Brookings, SD costs about 98% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Brookings, SD?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,958 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Brookings, SD?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,078 there versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Brookings, SD?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali and $39 in Brookings, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Brookings, SD?
Groceries cost about 51% more in Brookings, SD, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Brookings, SD?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $2,639 in Brookings, SD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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