Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chester, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,652 in Chester, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Chester, CA
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Chester, CA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Chester, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,652

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,652 in Chester, CA.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Chester, CA $2,652

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,872 in Chester, CA.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Chester, CA $3,872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,093 in Chester, CA.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Chester, CA $5,093

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 50% less than in Chester, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Chester, CA is 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.2K

$15.04 $15.04

-77.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 628.6K

$55.8 $55.8

-37.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.1K

$12.75 $12.75

-56.31%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

$5.20 $5.20

-49.62%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.94 $1.94

-20.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$1.49 $1.49

-57.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$5.07 $5.07

-47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.3K

$6.33 $6.33

-32.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.30 $1.30

12.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$4.06 $4.06

-43.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$4.48 $4.48

-75.22%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$5.82 $5.82

-63.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.2K

$15.01 $15.01

6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.4K

$15.12 $15.12

-74.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 206.8K

$18.14 $18.14

-37.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.4K

$5.12 $5.12

-30.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.93 $1.93

-20.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.32 $4.32

-48.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.78 $5.78

-65.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$3.67 $3.67

-49.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$3.27 $3.27

-25.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.45 $2.45

-58.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,475

$2.64 $2.64

-80.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$8.92 $8.92

-75.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.2K

$13.87 $13.87

57.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$2.70 $2.70

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$3.51 $3.51

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,542

$1.71 $1.71

-85.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.3K

$66.3 $66.3

-87.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,941

$3.88 $3.88

-88.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,489

$1.93 $1.93

-75.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

$25.45 $25.45

-78.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.48 $1.48

-43.92%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.5M

$34.7K $34.7K

-29.50%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.0M

$27.3K $27.3K

16.26%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$234 $234

-66.96%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.5K

$60.3 $60.3

-89.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.1K

$68.0 $68.0

-72.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.0K

$34.44 $34.44

48.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$17.07 $17.07

-74.34%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$1,476 $1,476

-66.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.7M

$22.9K $22.9K

-46.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.2K

$60.9 $60.9

-25.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 632.9K

$45.96 $45.96

-24.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$93.3 $93.3

-16.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$128 $128

-39.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.5M

$1,585 $1,585

-32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$1,253 $1,253

-46.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$2,557 $2,557

37.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$2,143 $2,143

-22.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.4M

$2,580 $2,580

-9.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$2,135 $2,135

4.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.5

112.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Chester, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Chester, CA

$1.3K 47.3% 88.5% $588

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Chester, CA

$460 17.4% 64.8% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Chester, CA

$148 5.6% 38.8% $41

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Chester, CA

$273 10.3% 158% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Chester, CA

$363 13.7% 254% $260

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Chester, CA

$69 2.6% 14.7% $8.8

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Chester, CA

$87 3.3% 625% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $1,585 in Chester, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $56 in Chester, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $460 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Chester, CA

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

15:23 3:23 PM

16 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

36,801

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,286 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Chester, CA 13,430 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Chester, 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 Chester, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Chester, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $3,978 in Chester, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,585 in Chester, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $56 in Chester, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,652 in Chester, CA – Ubud, Bali is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.