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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $691 in Cajamarca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,181 in Cajamarca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,672 in Cajamarca.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 99% more expensive than in Cajamarca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Cajamarca is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$3.63 PEN 12.16

-8.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$29.68 PEN 99.5

20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$5.82 PEN 19.52

-3.26%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.64 PEN 8.86

6.82%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.81 PEN 2.72

116.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.57 PEN 1.92

40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.41 PEN 8.08

26.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.48 PEN 11.66

23.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.35 PEN 4.52

19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$3.24 PEN 10.87

-29.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.25 PEN 4.19

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.20 PEN 7.37

-1.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$7.84 PEN 26.28

124.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$6.30 PEN 21.10

-35.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$13.12 PEN 43.96

-7.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.07 PEN 3.59

238.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.74 PEN 2.48

121.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.22 PEN 4.08

89.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.08 PEN 3.62

81.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.74 PEN 2.47

148.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.01 PEN 3.39

134.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.72 PEN 2.40

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.77 PEN 2.59

-29.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$8.67 PEN 29.05

-73.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.54 PEN 35.34

118.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$2.67 PEN 8.94

-12.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.57 PEN 8.61

19.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.56 PEN 1.88

-55.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$8.65 PEN 29.00

8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.83 PEN 6.12

-73.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$1.39 PEN 4.65

-66.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$5.18 PEN 17.35

8.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.60 PEN 5.35

-49.38%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$23.3K PEN 78.1K

7.32%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$26.5K PEN 88.8K

17.32%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$49.21 PEN 165

68.10%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$9.41 PEN 31.54

-31.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$28.56 PEN 95.7

-34.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$30.55 PEN 102

80.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$21.07 PEN 70.6

-13.57%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.79 PEN 16.06

-10.23%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$138 PEN 463

257.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$4,393 PEN 14.7K

34.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$51.6 PEN 173

-10.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$29.19 PEN 97.9

24.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$81.3 PEN 273

-0.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$80.2 PEN 269

-1.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$205 PEN 687

443.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$103 PEN 346

572.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$532 PEN 1,783

584.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$320 PEN 1,074

434.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,356 PEN 7,897

17.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$740 PEN 2,480

-77.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.5

31.24%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Cajamarca: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $205 in Cajamarca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cajamarca pays 343% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Cajamarca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $230 per month, with Cajamarca 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 Cajamarca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cajamarca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 99% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 343% lower in Cajamarca. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $205 in Cajamarca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cajamarca runs roughly 9% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $138 in Cajamarca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $691 in Cajamarca versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cajamarca but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cajamarca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cajamarca is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Cajamarca 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 Cajamarca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.