Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Chicago, IL

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Chicago, IL $5,999

Ubud, Bali is about 56% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

$20.71 $20.71

-83.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

$89.2 $89.2

-60.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

$13.19 $13.19

-58.07%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

$5.66 $5.66

-51.94%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

$2.64 $2.64

-35.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

$2.28 $2.28

-66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

$6.87 $6.87

-61.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

$8.84 $8.84

-50.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.25 $1.25

19.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

$3.72 $3.72

-38.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

$5.39 $5.39

-77.92%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

$4.74 $4.74

-56.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

$13.84 $13.84

27.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$14.40 $14.40

-72.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

$18.38 $18.38

-33.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

$5.22 $5.22

-29.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$1.98 $1.98

-23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$4.06 $4.06

-45.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

$4.97 $4.97

-60.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

$2.67 $2.67

-30.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

$2.66 $2.66

-9.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$2.24 $2.24

-55.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,255

$3.13 $3.13

-83.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

$13.82 $13.82

-83.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

$14.88 $14.88

49.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

$2.54 $2.54

-11.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

$3.51 $3.51

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,525

$2.43 $2.43

-89.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

$73.5 $73.5

-89.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,923

$3.18 $3.18

-86.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,753

$1.39 $1.39

-69.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

$25.03 $25.03

-78.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$1.20 $1.20

-31.67%

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

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

$35.0K $35.0K

-31.96%

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

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

$26.7K $26.7K

19.02%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$194 $194

-59.34%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

$69.5 $69.5

-90.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

$61.6 $61.6

-69.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

$47.90 $47.90

3.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

$27.34 $27.34

-35.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

$17.81 $17.81

-76.02%

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

$491 Rp 8.8M

$1,794 $1,794

-72.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

$31.9K $31.9K

-82.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

$67.0 $67.0

-33.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

$52.1 $52.1

-32.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$102 $102

-21.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$144 $144

-44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

$2,526 $2,526

-55.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.1M

$1,578 $1,578

-57.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

$4,738 $4,738

-24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

$2,693 $2,693

-36.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

$4,190 $4,190

-34.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

$2,768 $2,768

-17.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,931 $4,931

-96.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.81

102.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 135% $907

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 55.1% $159

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 220% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 52.5% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 213% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 43.9% $25

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 718% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 30 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $447 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Ubud, Bali Chicago, IL 15,680 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 125% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 55% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $3,037 in Chicago, IL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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