Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and California, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,590 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
Learn more

California, MD Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in California, MD

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in California, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,590 in California, MD, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
California, MD $2,590

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,729 in California, MD, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
California, MD $3,729

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,867 in California, MD, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
California, MD $4,867

Ubud, Bali is about 48% cheaper than California, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$25.39 $25.39

-86.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$76.0 $76.0

-53.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$10.01 $10.01

-44.76%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$6.05 $6.05

-55.04%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.81 $2.81

-39.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$2.44 $2.44

-68.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$5.03 $5.03

-47.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$8.01 $8.01

-45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$3.93 $3.93

-41.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$2.17 $2.17

-45.16%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.90 $3.90

-47.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$11.56 $11.56

53.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$14.46 $14.46

-72.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$13.17 $13.17

-7.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$4.29 $4.29

-14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$2.16 $2.16

-29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$4.48 $4.48

-50.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$6.48 $6.48

-69.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$4.50 $4.50

-58.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$4.08 $4.08

-40.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.04 $2.04

-51.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$1.97 $1.97

-74.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$8.79 $8.79

-74.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$13.83 $13.83

60.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.69 $1.69

33.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$4.77 $4.77

-37.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$2.14 $2.14

-88.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$82.5 $82.5

-90.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$2.95 $2.95

-85.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$1.49 $1.49

-71.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$22.83 $22.83

-76.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.86 $0.86

-4.65%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$32.7K $32.7K

-27.16%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$23.5K $23.5K

34.93%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$98.1 $98.1

-19.38%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$41.45 $41.45

-84.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$61.9 $61.9

-70.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$39.56 $39.56

25.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

$11.02 $11.02

60.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$17.68 $17.68

-75.85%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$1,937 $1,937

-74.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$32.6K $32.6K

-82.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$52.7 $52.7

-15.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$47.01 $47.01

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$87.5 $87.5

-8.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$107 $107

-25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,721 $1,721

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$1,308 $1,308

-48.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,818 $1,818

96.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,891 $1,891

-8.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$6,900 $6,900

-60.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$6,215 $6,215

-63.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$6,967 $6,967

-97.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.4

115.31%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for California, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

California, MD

$1.3K 50.5% 94.8% $637

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

California, MD

$404 15.6% 40.1% $116

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

California, MD

$368 14.2% 242% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

California, MD

$133 5.1% 23.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

California, MD

$201 7.8% 93.6% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

California, MD

$75 2.9% 29.1% $17

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

California, MD

$101 3.9% 788% $90

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,721 in California, MD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in California, MD are about 43 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $76 in California, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $404 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 California, MD

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

07:33 7:33 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

13,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali California, MD 16,500 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
California, MD

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 California, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – California, MD is pricier by about 92%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,886 in California, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $1,721 in California, MD.

Groceries cost about 40% more in California, MD, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $76 in California, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,590 in California, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, California, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.