Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,281 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
Learn more

Cartago Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Cartago

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,281 in Cartago, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Cartago $1,281

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,972 in Cartago, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Cartago $1,972

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,663 in Cartago, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Cartago $2,663

Ubud, Bali costs about 7% more than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Cartago is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$7.58 COP 24.1K

-56.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 629.4K

$37.20 COP 118.3K

-5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 103.8K

$8.47 COP 26.9K

-31.52%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 48.8K

$1.54 COP 4,884

77.27%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

$1.28 COP 4,063

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.83 COP 2,634

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.3K

$3.10 COP 9,869

-12.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 76.9K

$3.66 COP 11.7K

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.9K

$1.60 COP 5,088

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$1.88 COP 5,973

22.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

$1.49 COP 4,751

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.4K

$2.93 COP 9,334

-26.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 312.7K

$6.58 COP 20.9K

165.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.1K

$7.11 COP 22.6K

-43.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 218.8K

$9.93 COP 31.6K

23.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.5K

$3.57 COP 11.4K

-0.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.1K

$1.32 COP 4,200

18.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.0K

$1.74 COP 5,530

28.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.63 COP 5,184

18.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.7K

$1.42 COP 4,522

32.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.0K

$1.50 COP 4,758

52.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.08 COP 3,443

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,419

$1.03 COP 3,261

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$3.69 COP 11.7K

-38.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 411.7K

$13.12 COP 41.7K

75.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.9K

$1.50 COP 4,756

56.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.1K

$2.45 COP 7,794

18.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,289

$1.02 COP 3,244

-76.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 157.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,632

$0.79 COP 2,524

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,184

$2.27 COP 7,230

-79.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.6K

$8.40 COP 26.7K

-35.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.8K

$1.32 COP 4,211

-33.33%

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

$24.6K Rp 439.6M

$28.0K COP 89.1M

-12.35%

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

$31.2K Rp 558.0M

$34.6K COP 110.2M

-9.98%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$110 COP 349.3K

-24.43%

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

$6.45 Rp 115.3K

$13.23 COP 42.1K

-51.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 332.2K

$30.26 COP 96.2K

-38.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 998.7K

$42.32 COP 134.6K

31.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 324.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.4K

$8.24 COP 26.2K

-46.84%

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

$493 Rp 8.8M

$701 COP 2.2M

-29.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 102.9M

$6,430 COP 20.5M

-10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 826.5K

$77.8 COP 247.3K

-40.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 632.2K

$55.1 COP 175.4K

-35.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$127 COP 403.0K

-37.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$111 COP 351.7K

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.4M

$645 COP 2.1M

77.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.1M

$509 COP 1.6M

32.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 62.7M

$1,041 COP 3.3M

236.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.4M

$970 COP 3.1M

75.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.8M

$1,999 COP 6.4M

39.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.1M

$1,803 COP 5.7M

24.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.58

19.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 24.7% $167

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 17% $49

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 24.7% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Cartago

$153 12% 41.9% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Cartago

$167 13% 54.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 9% $5.8

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 29.4% $3.7

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $645 in Cartago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $37.00 in Cartago. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Ubud, Bali vs $241 in Cartago – so Cartago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

04:35 4:35 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

135,365

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 17,893 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,037 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cartago 18,710 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,921 in Cartago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $1,281 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 7%.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $701 in Cartago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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