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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $747 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,229 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,710 in Cali.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 88% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Cali is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$3.65 COP 11.9K

-5.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$29.20 COP 94.9K

10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$7.41 COP 24.1K

-34.68%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$1.58 COP 5,130

74.05%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.95 COP 3,095

45.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.60 COP 1,940

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

$1.01 COP 3,297

196.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$2.61 COP 8,484

47.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.24 COP 4,029

40.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$1.47 COP 4,770

67.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.25 COP 4,076

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$2.48 COP 8,065

-2.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$4.33 COP 14.1K

234.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$5.36 COP 17.4K

-18.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

$7.49 COP 24.4K

59.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$2.49 COP 8,108

49.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$0.92 COP 2,986

77.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$1.15 COP 3,749

138.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$1.31 COP 4,260

70.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$0.89 COP 2,881

115.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$1.11 COP 3,593

105.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.75 COP 2,427

41.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.68 COP 2,211

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$2.91 COP 9,454

13.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

$12.88 COP 41.9K

80.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$1.07 COP 3,478

159.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$1.86 COP 6,040

46.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.73 COP 2,386

-63.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

$20.17 COP 65.6K

-59.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$1.55 COP 5,043

-69.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

$1.90 COP 6,171

-77.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$9.45 COP 30.7K

-34.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.98 COP 3,190

-17.35%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$21.9K COP 71.3M

21.34%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$29.6K COP 96.2M

8.76%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$83.3 COP 270.9K

-5.96%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$8.94 COP 29.1K

-54.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$24.55 COP 79.8K

-0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$19.79 COP 64.3K

398.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

$14.72 COP 47.9K

-56.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$4.88 COP 15.9K

-18.24%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$222 COP 720.7K

37.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

$5,871 COP 19.1M

13.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$64.0 COP 208.1K

-15.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$43.51 COP 141.5K

-13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$76.3 COP 248.1K

13.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$89.5 COP 291.1K

-14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$241 COP 783.0K

311.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$188 COP 611.5K

257.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$615 COP 2.0M

448.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$398 COP 1.3M

414.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$1,258 COP 4.1M

122.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$990 COP 3.2M

124.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$554 COP 1.8M

-69.86%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $241 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 232% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $184 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 88% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 232% lower in Cali. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $241 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $222 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $747 in Cali versus $1,408 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 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.