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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $731 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,129 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,527 in Butuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 94% more expensive than Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Butuan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.41 ₱272

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$16.09 ₱992

103.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$2.33 ₱144

112.45%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.63 ₱100

66.26%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.33 ₱20.25

306.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.31 ₱19.22

125.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.16 ₱71.8

151.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.81 ₱112

118.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.65 ₱102

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.03 ₱63.8

144.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.99 ₱61.1

17.17%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.98 ₱122

24.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$5.73 ₱353

156.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.62 ₱223

19.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$7.37 ₱454

64.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.38 ₱85.1

178.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.55 ₱33.96

183.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$0.87 ₱53.8

225.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.40 ₱86.6

66.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.20 ₱136

-13.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$3.19 ₱197

-31.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.38 ₱85.3

-26.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.52 ₱32.27

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.44 ₱150

36.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$8.29 ₱511

186.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$0.72 ₱44.55

287.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$0.87 ₱53.5

228.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.28 ₱17.34

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.76 ₱46.67

-39.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.25 ₱15.46

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.15 ₱132

183.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.14 ₱70.2

-30.70%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$22.3K ₱1.4M

17.18%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$20.9K ₱1.3M

53.90%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$106 ₱6,539

-24.61%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$33.91 ₱2,091

-88.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$35.49 ₱2,188

-33.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$33.79 ₱2,084

192.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$4.32 ₱266

53.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$4.38 ₱270

-5.25%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$72.1 ₱4,443

321.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,766 ₱108.9K

274.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$45.95 ₱2,834

20.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$10.10 ₱623

279.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$70.9 ₱4,370

25.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$68.0 ₱4,191

14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$262 ₱16.2K

283.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$176 ₱10.8K

283.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$591 ₱36.5K

481.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$397 ₱24.5K

413.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,749 ₱169.5K

3.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,070 ₱66.0K

111.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.56

38.91%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Butuan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $262 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $164 per month, with Butuan 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 Butuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,097 in Butuan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $262 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $72.1 in Butuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Butuan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butuan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Butuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $731 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Butuan 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 Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.