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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,533 in Chelmsford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,891 in Chelmsford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,249 in Chelmsford.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 46% less than in Chelmsford, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% above, Chelmsford 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$26.57 £20.03

-87.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 631.4K

$58.1 £43.77

-39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.3K

$9.15 £6.90

-41.75%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$4.94 £3.73

-44.33%

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

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$3.16 £2.38

-45.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.76 £1.32

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

$7.17 £5.41

-58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.3K

$7.45 £5.62

-40.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

$1.68 £1.27

-10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$2.35 £1.77

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.6K

$2.74 £2.07

-59.85%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

$3.50 £2.64

-38.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 305.4K

$8.27 £6.24

106.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.3K

$8.45 £6.37

-54.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 213.0K

$14.17 £10.68

-15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 63.7K

$2.34 £1.77

52.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$1.52 £1.14

3.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

$3.61 £2.72

-34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.1K

$3.28 £2.47

-39.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.78 £1.34

1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$1.54 £1.16

55.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.16 £0.87

-12.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,782

$1.81 £1.37

-72.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$23.16 £17.46

-90.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 398.5K

$11.96 £9.01

86.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.3K

$2.85 £2.14

-16.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 51.7K

$3.51 £2.64

-17.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,452

$3.88 £2.93

-93.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 152.8K

$70.6 £53.2

-87.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,897

$4.79 £3.61

-90.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,547

$1.74 £1.32

-75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.2K

$26.22 £19.77

-78.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.90 £1.43

-57.37%

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

$23.7K Rp 424.2M

$37.6K £28.4K

-36.94%

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

$31.0K Rp 553.6M

$40.1K £30.2K

-22.73%

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

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$265 £200

-68.94%

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

$6.30 Rp 112.6K

$14.66 £11.05

-57.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 333.0K

$34.89 £26.30

-46.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 978.1K

$50.5 £38.04

8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 329.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

$17.13 £12.91

-75.25%

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

$484 Rp 8.7M

$1,842 £1,389

-73.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 99.9M

$13.4K £10.1K

-58.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 818.0K

$100 £75.4

-54.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 637.9K

$43.98 £33.15

-18.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$93.3 £70.3

-16.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$84.5 £63.7

-5.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

$1,559 £1,175

-26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.1M

$1,185 £893

-42.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 62.6M

$2,716 £2,048

29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

$2,476 £1,867

-31.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 49.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 2.9M

$2,912 £2,195

-94.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.21

164.49%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Last update for Chelmsford: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $1,559 in Chelmsford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chelmsford pays 1664% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $58.0 in Chelmsford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $306 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 Chelmsford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Chelmsford differ by about 84% in total monthly costs ($1,374 vs $2,533 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1664% lower in Chelmsford. 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: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,559 in Chelmsford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,842 in Chelmsford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Chelmsford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,533 in Chelmsford, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Chelmsford. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Chelmsford 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Chelmsford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.