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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,096 in Buzau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,581 in Buzau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,066 in Buzau.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than Buzau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Buzau is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$12.14 RON 54.9

-70.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$24.99 RON 113

30.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.89 RON 26.62

-15.96%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.70 RON 12.20

0.37%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.98 RON 8.97

-32.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.57 RON 7.11

-55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$3.28 RON 14.83

-10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$3.47 RON 15.69

14.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.47 RON 6.66

23.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.35 RON 6.12

86.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.78 RON 8.04

-34.83%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$3.35 RON 15.14

-26.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$8.74 RON 39.51

68.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$6.94 RON 31.35

-37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$10.24 RON 46.27

18.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$0.89 RON 4.04

331.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.54 RON 6.97

1.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.18 RON 5.34

139.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.75 RON 7.91

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.87 RON 3.95

119.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.07 RON 4.82

105.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.60 RON 2.73

68.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.61 RON 2.74

27.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$5.60 RON 25.33

-40.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$6.60 RON 29.85

259.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.06 RON 4.80

163.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.71 RON 7.75

67.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.67 RON 3.05

-59.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$19.34 RON 87.4

-58.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.65 RON 2.93

-29.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.75 RON 3.40

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$6.95 RON 31.41

-12.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.64 RON 7.40

-51.83%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$21.1K RON 95.2K

24.22%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$23.4K RON 105.6K

37.50%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$125 RON 566

-36.11%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$6.43 RON 29.08

-36.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$9.05 RON 40.93

159.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$37.13 RON 168

165.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$20.02 RON 90.5

-66.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$5.93 RON 26.79

-30.02%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$334 RON 1,512

-9.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$6,544 RON 29.6K

1.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$60.8 RON 275

-8.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$43.04 RON 195

-10.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$94.9 RON 429

-6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$98.9 RON 447

-21.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$445 RON 2,010

126.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$364 RON 1,643

85.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$622 RON 2,813

453.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$470 RON 2,123

334.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,555 RON 7,029

82.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,217 RON 5,501

86.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$902 RON 4,076

-81.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.7

72.47%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Buzau: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $445 in Buzau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buzau pays 446% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Buzau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $204 per month, with Buzau 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 Buzau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Buzau differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,096 including rent). Buzau is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buzau earns 446% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $445 in Buzau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Buzau – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Buzau versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buzau but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Buzau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Buzau 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 Buzau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.