Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cuenca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuenca: $989 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Cuenca
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Cuenca Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Cuenca

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Cuenca

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $989 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Cuenca $989

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,482 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Cuenca $1,482

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,976 in Cuenca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Cuenca $1,976

Ubud, Bali costs about 38% more than Cuenca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Cuenca is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$3.59 $3.59

-7.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$29.50 $29.50

19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$7.79 $7.79

-25.55%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.65 $2.65

3.02%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.83 $0.83

97.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.71 $0.71

16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$2.04 $2.04

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$3.18 $3.18

35.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.01 $1.01

48.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$2.17 $2.17

5.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.87 $1.87

-36.90%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$2.27 $2.27

-5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$7.09 $7.09

146.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$5.90 $5.90

-31.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$7.47 $7.47

63.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$2.03 $2.03

74.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.09 $1.09

44.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.36 $1.36

64.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.40 $1.40

37.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.54 $1.54

22.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.08 $1.08

112.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.75 $0.75

32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$1.13 $1.13

-53.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$5.29 $5.29

-56.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$10.07 $10.07

128.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$1.51 $1.51

54.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$2.99 $2.99

-2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.36 $0.36

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$15.94 $15.94

-44.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$1.36 $1.36

-64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$1.07 $1.07

-57.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$10.83 $10.83

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.87 $0.87

1.15%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$24.5K $24.5K

0.25%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$29.6K $29.6K

5.22%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$39.83 $39.83

108.41%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$13.33 $13.33

-51.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$26.61 $26.61

-30.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$30.02 $30.02

85.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$5.18 $5.18

249.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$7.22 $7.22

-39.34%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$227 $227

117.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$6,764 $6,764

-14.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$67.8 $67.8

-31.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$46.84 $46.84

-24.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$125 $125

-36.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.5 $71.5

9.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$529 $529

116.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$386 $386

74.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$709 $709

393.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$608 $608

179.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$1,221 $1,221

127.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$857 $857

161.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$561 $561

-70.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.16

23.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cuenca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Cuenca

$386 39.1% 42.8% $289

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Cuenca

$208 21% 28.5% $83

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Cuenca

$107 10.8% 1.9% $2.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Cuenca

$80 8.1% 26.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Cuenca

$140 14.2% 30.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Cuenca

$44 4.5% 31.2% $20

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Cuenca

$24 2.4% 92% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $529 in Cuenca. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 241% higher in Cuenca, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $30.00 in Cuenca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $208 – making Cuenca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇪🇨 Cuenca

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

12:48 12:48 PM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

495,776

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cuenca 17,990 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cuenca

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 Cuenca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,483 in Cuenca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuenca, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $30.00 in Cuenca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $989 in Cuenca. That's a gap of about 38%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuenca, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Cuenca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuenca – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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