Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Carlsbad, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $3,964 in Carlsbad, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
188

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, CA
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Carlsbad, CA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Carlsbad, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Carlsbad, CA

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 Carlsbad, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,964 in Carlsbad, CA.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Carlsbad, CA $3,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,527 in Carlsbad, CA.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Carlsbad, CA $5,527

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $7,091 in Carlsbad, CA.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Carlsbad, CA $7,091

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 66% less than in Carlsbad, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Carlsbad, CA is 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$24.53 $24.53

-86.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 629.1K

$78.2 $78.2

-55.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

$15.13 $15.13

-63.19%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$5.74 $5.74

-54.36%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$3.17 $3.17

-51.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$2.35 $2.35

-72.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$7.30 $7.30

-63.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

$8.87 $8.87

-51.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.31 $1.31

11.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$4.67 $4.67

-50.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$4.74 $4.74

-76.58%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$4.36 $4.36

-51.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.4K

$14.57 $14.57

9.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

$8.27 $8.27

-53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 207.0K

$14.26 $14.26

-20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

$4.19 $4.19

-15.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.72 $1.72

-10.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.73 $2.73

-18.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.98 $5.98

-67.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$3.60 $3.60

-48.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$3.04 $3.04

-20.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.07 $2.07

-50.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,483

$2.78 $2.78

-81.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$11.65 $11.65

-81.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.6K

$15.14 $15.14

43.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$2.06 $2.06

13.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.74 $1.74

70.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,546

$2.55 $2.55

-90.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

$172 $172

-95.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,947

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,496

$4.93 $4.93

-90.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.7K

$35.01 $35.01

-84.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.40 $1.40

-40.71%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.8M

$29.4K $29.4K

-16.74%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

$26.9K $26.9K

18.03%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$266 $266

-70.92%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.6K

$65.0 $65.0

-90.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.4K

$74.0 $74.0

-74.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.8K

$113 $113

-54.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.3K

$33.86 $33.86

-46.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$22.16 $22.16

-80.23%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$1,198 $1,198

-58.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.9M

$12.5K $12.5K

-2.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.9K

$46.93 $46.93

-3.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 633.4K

$24.04 $24.04

45.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$77.2 $77.2

1.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$146 $146

-46.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

$2,688 $2,688

-59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$2,277 $2,277

-70.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$4,169 $4,169

-15.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$3,483 $3,483

-52.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

$6,635 $6,635

-64.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$6,588 $6,588

-66.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$6,368 $6,368

-97.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.08

126.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Carlsbad, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Carlsbad, CA

$2.3K 57.4% 242% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Carlsbad, CA

$399 10.1% 42.6% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Carlsbad, CA

$132 3.3% 24.5% $26

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Carlsbad, CA

$387 9.8% 266% $281

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Carlsbad, CA

$405 10.2% 295% $303

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Carlsbad, CA

$157 4% 163% $98

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Carlsbad, CA

$206 * 5.2% 1628% $195

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $2,688 in Carlsbad, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlsbad, CA pays about 38 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $78 in Carlsbad, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $399 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, CA

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

14:16 2:16 PM

16 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

114,746

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR

1 USD = 0.888 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,438 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Carlsbad, CA 13,990 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Carlsbad, CA

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 Carlsbad, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Carlsbad, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,688 in Carlsbad, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,198 in Carlsbad, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Carlsbad, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Carlsbad, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Carlsbad, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.