Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Charleston, SC
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Charleston, SC Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Charleston, SC

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,314 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Charleston, SC $3,314

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,834 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Charleston, SC $4,834

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $6,355 in Charleston, SC, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Charleston, SC $6,355

Ubud, Bali is about 59% cheaper than Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Charleston, SC by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$19.88 $19.88

-83.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$131 $131

-73.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$11.91 $11.91

-51.30%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$5.90 $5.90

-53.73%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$2.91 $2.91

-43.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$2.37 $2.37

-64.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$6.68 $6.68

-59.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$7.88 $7.88

-45.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.15 $1.15

30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$4.13 $4.13

-44.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$4.57 $4.57

-74.18%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$5.25 $5.25

-59.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$22.51 $22.51

-22.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$14.38 $14.38

-71.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$20.97 $20.97

-41.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$7.97 $7.97

-55.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.86 $1.86

-15.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$4.98 $4.98

-55.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$7.09 $7.09

-72.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$5.08 $5.08

-62.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$3.65 $3.65

-37.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$2.85 $2.85

-65.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$3.30 $3.30

-83.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$9.84 $9.84

-76.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$20.33 $20.33

13.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$2.74 $2.74

-14.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$3.04 $3.04

-4.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$1.99 $1.99

-87.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$57.8 $57.8

-84.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$3.06 $3.06

-84.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$1.23 $1.23

-62.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$31.67 $31.67

-82.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.96 $0.96

-8.33%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$35.7K $35.7K

-31.23%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$25.8K $25.8K

20.83%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$233 $233

-64.39%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$78.3 $78.3

-91.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$85.8 $85.8

-78.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$45.77 $45.77

21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$19.74 $19.74

-8.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$14.14 $14.14

-69.02%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$1,274 $1,274

-61.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$27.2K $27.2K

-78.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$78.9 $78.9

-41.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$45.52 $45.52

-22.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$114 $114

-30.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$136 $136

-42.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$2,353 $2,353

-51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$1,728 $1,728

-60.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$3,610 $3,610

-2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$2,630 $2,630

-35.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$5,673 $5,673

-50.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$3,048 $3,048

-26.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$4,858 $4,858

-96.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.51

111.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Charleston, SC: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Charleston, SC

$1.7K 52.2% 156% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Charleston, SC

$535 16.1% 84.2% $244

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Charleston, SC

$336 10.1% 209% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Charleston, SC

$397 12% 268% $289

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Charleston, SC

$169 5.1% 56.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Charleston, SC

$74 2.2% 14.6% $9.5

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Charleston, SC

$75 2.3% 497% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,353 in Charleston, SC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2852% higher in Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $131 in Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $535 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

21:31 9:31 PM

09:31 9:31 AM

12 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

150,227

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Charleston, SC 16,890 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Charleston, SC

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 Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Charleston, SC costs about 142% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,970 in Charleston, SC. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,274 in Charleston, SC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Charleston, SC at $3,314. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Charleston, SC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,368 versus $3,314 in Charleston, SC. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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