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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,256 in Carolina.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,944 in Carolina.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,633 in Carolina.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 15% more expensive than Carolina, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Carolina is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$17.01 $17.01

-79.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$80.3 $80.3

-59.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$9.46 $9.46

-46.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.27 $3.27

-13.46%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.70 $1.70

-21.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$1.38 $1.38

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$3.06 $3.06

-2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.92 $3.92

-1.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$2.37 $2.37

-26.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$3.48 $3.48

-27.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$2.27 $2.27

-47.58%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$5.74 $5.74

-57.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.66 $8.66

69.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$8.55 $8.55

-51.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$12.88 $12.88

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$5.85 $5.85

-36.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$2.61 $2.61

-38.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$3.80 $3.80

-29.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$4.04 $4.04

-42.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$4.03 $4.03

-52.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$3.03 $3.03

-27.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$2.98 $2.98

-64.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.89 $1.89

-61.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$11.13 $11.13

-71.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.47 $2.47

10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$3.17 $3.17

-9.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.77 $0.77

-62.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.53 $1.53

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$14.83 $14.83

-58.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.13 $1.13

-25.66%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$35.5K $35.5K

-25.99%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$26.1K $26.1K

24.28%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$321 $321

-75.56%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$80.4 $80.4

-95.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$71.4 $71.4

-65.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$11.30 $11.30

754.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$11.68 $11.68

-65.41%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$471 $471

-35.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$10.4K $10.4K

-37.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$45.10 $45.10

19.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$56.0 $56.0

-32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$91.7 $91.7

-5.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$107 $107

-26.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$446 $446

126.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$1,792 $1,792

89.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$1,708 $1,708

-89.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.71

132.57%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Carolina: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $446 in Carolina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carolina pays 887% 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 $80.0 in Carolina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $350 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Carolina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Carolina wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carolina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Carolina earns 887% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $446 in Carolina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $471 in Carolina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Carolina – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,256 in Carolina versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Carolina but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Carolina the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Carolina delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,256 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Carolina hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Carolina 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 Carolina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.