Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bulacan

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulacan: $638 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Bulacan
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Bulacan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Bulacan

🇵🇭 Philippines

$638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $638 in Bulacan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Bulacan $638

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $927 in Bulacan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Bulacan $927

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,215 in Bulacan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Bulacan $1,215

Ubud, Bali costs about 114% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Bulacan is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$2.00 ₱126

66.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$15.88 ₱1,000

121.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$2.71 ₱171

114.02%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.79 ₱112

52.51%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.44 ₱27.72

272.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.26 ₱16.39

219.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$0.93 ₱58.4

190.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$1.60 ₱101

168.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.61 ₱102

-6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$1.16 ₱73.1

98.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.95 ₱60.1

24.21%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$1.79 ₱113

19.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$2.80 ₱176

524.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$3.45 ₱217

16.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$6.03 ₱380

102.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$2.06 ₱130

72.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.56 ₱98.2

0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.99 ₱125

12.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.04 ₱65.4

85.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.61 ₱101

16.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.73 ₱109

32.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.62 ₱39.14

59.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.49 ₱31.07

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$3.04 ₱191

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$3.53 ₱222

551.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$0.89 ₱56.3

162.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$1.56 ₱98.1

86.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.19 ₱11.81

26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$6.68 ₱421

32.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.69 ₱43.19

-30.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.15 ₱9.67

206.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$1.87 ₱118

191.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.06 ₱66.7

-16.98%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$21.7K ₱1.4M

13.34%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$16.4K ₱1.0M

90.36%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$112 ₱7,031

-25.66%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$17.26 ₱1,087

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$23.39 ₱1,472

-20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$37.17 ₱2,340

50.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$0.78 ₱49.15

2221.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$5.09 ₱320

-13.95%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$96.7 ₱6,088

409.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$941 ₱59.3K

511.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$28.48 ₱1,793

62.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$19.39 ₱1,221

82.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$75.5 ₱4,756

4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$55.5 ₱3,493

41.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$237 ₱14.9K

381.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$146 ₱9,223

361.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$385 ₱24.2K

809.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$215 ₱13.5K

691.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$1,879 ₱118.3K

48.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,458 ₱91.8K

53.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$290 ₱18.2K

-43.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.75

104.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bulacan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Bulacan

$146 23% 78.3% $529

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Bulacan

$147 23% 49.5% $144

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Bulacan

$56 8.8% 48.3% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Bulacan

$152 23.9% 41% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Bulacan

$81 12.6% 25.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Bulacan

$47 7.4% 26.7% $17

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Bulacan

$8.9 1.4% 29.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $237 in Bulacan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Bulacan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $16.00 in Bulacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $147 – making Bulacan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇵🇭 Bulacan

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

3,700,000

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Bulacan 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Bulacan

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 Bulacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 114% more than Bulacan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $958 in Bulacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bulacan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $638 in Bulacan. That's a gap of about 114%.

Public transport costs about 32% less in Bulacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bulacan, where all-in costs run around $638, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Bulacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bulacan costs $638 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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