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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $734 in Butuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,121 in Butuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,507 in Butuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 92% more expensive than in Butuan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Butuan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$4.51 ₱278

-23.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$16.09 ₱991

100.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$2.37 ₱146

104.22%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.62 ₱99.8

69.75%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.33 ₱20.25

318.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.31 ₱19.13

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.22 ₱75.1

145.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$1.80 ₱111

113.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.67 ₱103

4.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.07 ₱66.0

129.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.92 ₱56.9

27.17%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.08 ₱128

16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$5.74 ₱353

152.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$3.62 ₱223

20.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$7.28 ₱448

64.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.45 ₱89.1

156.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.52 ₱31.95

213.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.90 ₱55.6

204.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.41 ₱87.0

58.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$2.18 ₱134

-11.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$3.16 ₱195

-27.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.32 ₱81.1

-19.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.57 ₱35.24

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$2.41 ₱149

36.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$7.92 ₱488

192.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$0.72 ₱44.55

286.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$0.92 ₱56.8

196.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.26 ₱15.84

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.70 ₱43.24

-31.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.25 ₱15.46

68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$2.14 ₱132

190.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.15 ₱70.5

-29.57%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$21.9K ₱1.3M

21.72%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$21.0K ₱1.3M

53.60%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$105 ₱6,457

-25.30%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$33.60 ₱2,069

-87.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$36.43 ₱2,243

-33.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$34.40 ₱2,118

186.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$4.46 ₱275

42.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$4.46 ₱275

-10.54%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$69.6 ₱4,283

338.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$1,787 ₱110.0K

271.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$45.25 ₱2,786

19.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$10.00 ₱615

278.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$71.1 ₱4,380

22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$69.4 ₱4,274

9.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$269 ₱16.6K

268.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$174 ₱10.7K

286.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$592 ₱36.5K

469.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$394 ₱24.2K

420.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Butuan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $269 in Butuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Butuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 92% 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,102 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $269 in Butuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $69.6 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $734 in Butuan versus $1,408 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 $734 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 92% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.