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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $744 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,224 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,704 in Cali.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 91% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$3.65 COP 13.0K

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$29.25 COP 104.5K

11.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$7.36 COP 26.3K

-32.74%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.61 COP 5,754

68.32%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.94 COP 3,353

42.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.55 COP 1,979

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.06 COP 3,775

175.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.56 COP 9,130

54.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.22 COP 4,347

48.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.53 COP 5,465

64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.21 COP 4,319

-4.13%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.46 COP 8,779

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$4.29 COP 15.3K

242.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$5.47 COP 19.5K

-21.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$7.60 COP 27.1K

59.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.40 COP 8,570

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.97 COP 3,474

60.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.20 COP 4,274

135.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.27 COP 4,548

83.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.88 COP 3,148

117.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.11 COP 3,949

98.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.75 COP 2,679

34.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.65 COP 2,323

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.90 COP 10.3K

14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$11.48 COP 41.0K

106.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.10 COP 3,932

153.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.84 COP 6,584

55.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.67 COP 2,407

-59.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$20.20 COP 72.1K

-60.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.54 COP 5,485

-70.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.88 COP 6,707

-76.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$9.80 COP 35.0K

-37.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.93 COP 3,304

-15.05%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$21.4K COP 76.4M

22.27%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$30.3K COP 108.3M

5.90%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$80.9 COP 289.0K

-1.24%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$8.78 COP 31.4K

-53.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$23.99 COP 85.7K

-1.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$19.60 COP 70.0K

403.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$14.79 COP 52.8K

-55.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$4.87 COP 17.4K

-14.78%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$226 COP 807.0K

34.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$6,039 COP 21.6M

9.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$63.7 COP 227.5K

-12.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$44.16 COP 157.7K

-13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$78.6 COP 280.5K

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$89.5 COP 319.6K

-12.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$234 COP 834.7K

330.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$186 COP 665.2K

262.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$609 COP 2.2M

465.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$408 COP 1.5M

400.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,101 COP 3.9M

157.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$890 COP 3.2M

154.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$494 COP 1.8M

-66.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.58

14.68%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cali: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $234 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 199% 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 $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $182 per month, with Cali 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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cali earns 199% 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 $234 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $226 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $744 in Cali versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali 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 Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.