Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cusco Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cusco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $739 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,164 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,589 in Cusco.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 90% more expensive than in Cusco, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Cusco is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$2.73 PEN 9.24

26.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$28.05 PEN 95.1

15.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$5.64 PEN 19.11

-14.18%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$2.00 PEN 6.78

37.50%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.23 PEN 4.16

12.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.73 PEN 2.48

2.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

$2.23 PEN 7.57

34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$4.29 PEN 14.55

-10.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.45 PEN 4.90

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$2.88 PEN 9.78

-14.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.27 PEN 4.31

-7.87%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$3.80 PEN 12.89

-36.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$4.64 PEN 15.74

212.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$4.82 PEN 16.33

-9.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

$6.78 PEN 22.97

76.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$2.45 PEN 8.31

51.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$0.72 PEN 2.45

126.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$1.32 PEN 4.49

107.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$0.88 PEN 3.00

154.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$1.00 PEN 3.38

92.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$0.99 PEN 3.34

130.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.65 PEN 2.19

63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.70 PEN 2.36

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$4.75 PEN 16.08

-30.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

$5.83 PEN 19.76

297.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$1.90 PEN 6.45

46.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$3.16 PEN 10.71

-13.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.29 PEN 0.99

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$1.64 PEN 5.56

-70.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

$1.66 PEN 5.64

-74.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$2.79 PEN 9.46

122.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.49 PEN 5.06

-45.64%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$19.1K PEN 64.8K

39.20%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$21.9K PEN 74.2K

47.07%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$33.89 PEN 115

131.19%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$14.14 PEN 47.92

-71.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$31.07 PEN 105

-21.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$30.62 PEN 104

222.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$5.00 PEN 16.94

-20.20%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$36.06 PEN 122

50.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$29.00 PEN 98.3

30.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$61.9 PEN 210

40.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$72.3 PEN 245

5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$303 PEN 1,028

227.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$247 PEN 838

172.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$588 PEN 1,993

474.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$424 PEN 1,436

384.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$3,891 PEN 13.2K

-27.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$1,798 PEN 6,096

23.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$427 PEN 1,448

-60.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

20.73%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Cusco: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $303 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cusco pays 156% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $192 per month, with Cusco 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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 156% lower in Cusco. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $303 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Cusco versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.