Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,193 in Columbia, SC, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, SC
Learn more

Columbia, SC Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Columbia, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,193

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,193 in Columbia, SC.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Columbia, SC $2,193

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,366 in Columbia, SC.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Columbia, SC $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,538 in Columbia, SC.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Columbia, SC $4,538

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 39% less than in Columbia, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$19.80 $19.80

-83.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.7K

$61.1 $61.1

-41.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$11.97 $11.97

-53.80%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$5.42 $5.42

-49.82%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.80 $2.80

-39.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$2.18 $2.18

-65.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$5.43 $5.43

-51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$6.39 $6.39

-31.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$0.84 $0.84

77.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$2.53 $2.53

-9.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$4.52 $4.52

-73.67%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$4.03 $4.03

-49.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.2K

$10.49 $10.49

68.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$11.14 $11.14

-64.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.2K

$15.89 $15.89

-23.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$5.26 $5.26

-30.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.63 $1.63

-6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$6.45 $6.45

-65.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$6.17 $6.17

-68.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$3.10 $3.10

-40.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$4.36 $4.36

-44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.01 $2.01

-50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,316

$1.79 $1.79

-71.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$8.40 $8.40

-73.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.6K

$15.62 $15.62

42.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.83 $1.83

23.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.68 $2.68

10.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,555

$1.98 $1.98

-87.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.0K

$40.15 $40.15

-80.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,975

$1.98 $1.98

-77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,804

$1.59 $1.59

-72.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$17.89 $17.89

-69.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.91 $0.91

-9.89%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.6M

$26.8K $26.8K

-11.08%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.1M

$25.2K $25.2K

25.97%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$277 $277

-71.49%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.0K

$60.2 $60.2

-89.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.1K

$63.8 $63.8

-70.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.9K

$34.47 $34.47

43.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.2K

$18.22 $18.22

-3.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$15.22 $15.22

-71.94%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$1,117 $1,117

-56.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$22.9K $22.9K

-75.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.0K

$52.3 $52.3

-14.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.2K

$39.57 $39.57

-11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$82.2 $82.2

-2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$114 $114

-30.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,430 $1,430

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$832 $832

-19.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$3,198 $3,198

11.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,672 $1,672

3.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$2,313 $2,313

18.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$1,668 $1,668

36.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$3,240 $3,240

-94.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.56

110.06%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Columbia, SC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Columbia, SC

$832 37.9% 23.8% $160

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Columbia, SC

$389 17.7% 34.8% $100

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Columbia, SC

$319 14.6% 196% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Columbia, SC

$130 5.9% 20.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Columbia, SC

$401 18.3% 286% $297

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Columbia, SC

$65 3% 11.8% $6.9

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Columbia, SC

$58 2.6% 408% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Columbia, SC pays about 20 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $61 in Columbia, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $389 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Columbia, SC

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

09:39 9:39 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

139,698

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,249 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Columbia, SC 16,730 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Columbia, 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 Columbia, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,430 in Columbia, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Columbia, SC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $61 in Columbia, SC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Columbia, SC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Columbia, SC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.