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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $579 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $903 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,227 in Butuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 138% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Butuan is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$4.69 ₱292

-29.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.0K

$26.84 ₱1,674

33.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.2K

$2.33 ₱145

141.63%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.12 ₱132

33.02%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.31 ₱19.11

464.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.23 ₱14.27

247.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.56 ₱97.1

94.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.33 ₱145

84.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.95 ₱122

-17.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.09 ₱68.2

108.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$0.94 ₱58.5

24.47%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.93 ₱120

12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.6K

$6.79 ₱423

159.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.30 ₱268

-5.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.6K

$8.69 ₱542

40.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.59 ₱162

39.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.08 ₱67.2

51.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$2.28 ₱142

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.20 ₱75.0

63.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$2.10 ₱131

-12.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$3.61 ₱225

-34.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.19 ₱74.1

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,564

$0.66 ₱41.22

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$2.50 ₱156

-8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.5K

$7.90 ₱492

192.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.24 ₱77.3

88.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.53 ₱95.7

100.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,366

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,635

$0.83 ₱51.6

-40.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,352

$0.25 ₱15.69

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.7K

$1.94 ₱121

188.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.09 ₱67.8

-25.69%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.5M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

18.59%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.2M

$19.1K ₱1.2M

62.74%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$106 ₱6,632

-22.22%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.3K

$19.04 ₱1,187

-65.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.0K

$31.42 ₱1,959

-40.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 973.0K

$24.08 ₱1,501

129.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.37 ₱273

-1.60%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$108 ₱6,746

356.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$7,486 ₱466.8K

-20.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 815.2K

$61.6 ₱3,843

-24.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.9K

$27.03 ₱1,686

34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.6 ₱4,524

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$60.7 ₱3,784

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.31

65.82%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Butuan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $196 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 138% 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 $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $869 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.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $108 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 $27.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $579 in Butuan versus $1,378 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 $579 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 138% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.