Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cotabato City Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cotabato City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $724 in Cotabato City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,154 in Cotabato City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,584 in Cotabato City.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 96% more expensive than Cotabato City, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Cotabato City is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.8K

$4.41 ₱272

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 594.6K

$23.90 ₱1,473

36.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.9K

$4.63 ₱285

6.91%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 49.3K

$2.03 ₱125

33.50%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.4K

$0.87 ₱53.4

54.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$0.53 ₱32.60

32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 53.0K

$1.41 ₱86.8

107.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$1.75 ₱108

126.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.8K

$1.04 ₱64.2

74.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.7K

$0.34 ₱20.95

641.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 21.0K

$0.91 ₱55.9

27.47%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.7K

$2.01 ₱124

22.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 267.3K

$5.86 ₱361

151.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 78.4K

$3.26 ₱201

32.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 220.5K

$7.43 ₱458

63.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.8K

$1.40 ₱86.4

174.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.3K

$1.04 ₱64.1

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.5K

$1.07 ₱66.1

164.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$1.12 ₱69.0

108.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.8K

$1.26 ₱77.9

51.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 40.0K

$1.50 ₱92.4

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.4K

$0.51 ₱31.14

98.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.1K

$0.57 ₱34.95

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$0.86 ₱52.8

286.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 431.2K

$8.11 ₱500

192.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.7K

$1.42 ₱87.3

96.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 52.0K

$1.50 ₱92.3

90.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,883

$0.28 ₱17.27

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 145.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,291

$0.88 ₱54.1

-47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,176

$0.25 ₱15.49

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 110.7K

$2.09 ₱129

191.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.4K

$1.10 ₱68.1

-28.18%

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

$26.1K Rp 475.0M

$22.4K ₱1.4M

16.60%

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

$32.1K Rp 583.5M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

51.08%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$105 ₱6,483

-24.00%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.8K

$34.22 ₱2,109

-88.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 427.3K

$36.53 ₱2,252

-35.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$34.34 ₱2,117

187.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 120.4K

$4.33 ₱267

53.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 75.3K

$3.14 ₱194

32.17%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$117 ₱7,234

158.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 120.1M

$4,325 ₱266.6K

52.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$46.46 ₱2,864

19.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 695.9K

$29.70 ₱1,831

28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$79.0 ₱4,872

12.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$68.8 ₱4,239

13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.3M

$263 ₱16.2K

283.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.3M

$179 ₱11.0K

277.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.5M

$576 ₱35.5K

497.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 37.0M

$397 ₱24.4K

414.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.6M

$2,371 ₱146.2K

19.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 41.1M

$1,070 ₱66.0K

111.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.56

38.91%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cotabato City: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $263 in Cotabato City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $24.00 in Cotabato City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $147 per month, with Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotabato City wins on cost – living expenses run 96% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cotabato City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,086 in Cotabato City 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $263 in Cotabato City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 106% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $724 in Cotabato City – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $724 in Cotabato City versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotabato City but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cotabato City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cotabato City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $724 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cotabato City hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Cotabato City 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 Cotabato City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.