Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Castro Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $3,441 in Castro Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Castro Valley, CA, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Castro Valley, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,441
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Castro Valley, 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 Castro Valley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,441 in Castro Valley, CA.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Castro Valley, CA $3,441

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,290 in Castro Valley, CA.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Castro Valley, CA $4,290

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,138 in Castro Valley, CA.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Castro Valley, CA $5,138

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 61% less than in Castro Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Castro Valley, CA is 155% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$21.86 $21.86
-84.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 628.8K
$79.0 $79.0
-56.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.2K
$12.15 $12.15
-54.16%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$5.75 $5.75
-54.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$3.03 $3.03
-49.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$2.78 $2.78
-76.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$5.85 $5.85
-54.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.4K
$7.52 $7.52
-43.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$1.48 $1.48
-1.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$4.64 $4.64
-50.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$5.98 $5.98
-81.44%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$6.05 $6.05
-65.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.3K
$15.14 $15.14
5.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.5K
$13.39 $13.39
-71.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 206.9K
$22.24 $22.24
-48.74%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.5K
$5.44 $5.44
-34.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.59 $2.59
-40.54%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.40 $4.40
-49.32%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$4.64 $4.64
-57.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$3.73 $3.73
-50.13%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$4.68 $4.68
-48.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$2.54 $2.54
-59.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,479
$0.97 $0.97
-46.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$11.88 $11.88
-81.48%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.4K
$17.19 $17.19
26.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$1.77 $1.77
31.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$2.74 $2.74
8.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,544
$3.19 $3.19
-92.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.4K
$65.9 $65.9
-87.61%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,944
$3.52 $3.52
-87.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,493
$1.90 $1.90
-75.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
$40.34 $40.34
-86.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.58 $1.58
-47.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.7M
$27.6K $27.6K
-11.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.2M
$26.2K $26.2K
21.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$179 $179
-56.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
$62.4 $62.4
-90.15%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.3K
$60.9 $60.9
-68.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.4K
$39.72 $39.72
28.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$14.98 $14.98
-70.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$2,567 $2,567
-80.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.8M
$20.5K $20.5K
-40.25%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.6K
$39.88 $39.88
13.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 633.2K
$35.44 $35.44
-1.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$77.8 $77.8
0.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$49.66 $49.66
56.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.6M
$2,263 $2,263
-52.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$2,076 $2,076
-67.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$2,524 $2,524
39.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$2,062 $2,062
-18.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.5M
$2,843 $2,843
-17.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
$2,380 $2,380
-6.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Castro Valley, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$5,649 $5,649
-97.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.58
109.42%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Castro Valley, CA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Castro Valley, CA
$2.1K 212% $1.4K
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Castro Valley, CA
$463 65.7% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Castro Valley, CA
$91 14.2% $15
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Castro Valley, CA
$348 229% $242
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Castro Valley, CA
$302 195% $199
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Castro Valley, CA
$70 16.6% $9.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Castro Valley, CA
$92 667% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $2,263 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castro Valley, CA pays about 34 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $79 in Castro Valley, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $463 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Castro Valley, CA
🕒 Local time
10:24 10:24 AM
18:24 6:24 PM
16 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
61,388
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,148 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,295 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Castro Valley, CA 13,440 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Castro Valley, 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 Castro Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Castro Valley, CA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $3,441 in Castro Valley, CA, so Ubud, Bali is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Castro Valley, CA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,263 in Castro Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Castro Valley, CA?
Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,567 in Castro Valley, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Castro Valley, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
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.
Where should families live: Ubud, Bali or Castro Valley, CA?
For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Castro Valley, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Ubud, Bali or Castro Valley, CA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Castro Valley, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Castro Valley, CA?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Castro Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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