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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $747 in Cusco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,171 in Cusco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,596 in Cusco.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Cusco is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.81 PEN 9.56

26.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$27.73 PEN 94.3

18.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.64 PEN 19.20

-12.23%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.02 PEN 6.86

34.16%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.23 PEN 4.17

8.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.74 PEN 2.50

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$2.19 PEN 7.44

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$4.23 PEN 14.39

-6.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.46 PEN 4.95

23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$3.01 PEN 10.24

-16.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.33 PEN 4.53

-12.78%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$3.87 PEN 13.15

-36.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$4.76 PEN 16.20

209.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$4.89 PEN 16.62

-11.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.88 PEN 23.41

76.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.37 PEN 8.06

62.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.72 PEN 2.45

116.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.27 PEN 4.32

122.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.90 PEN 3.05

158.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.00 PEN 3.39

91.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.96 PEN 3.26

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.70 PEN 2.37

44.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.68 PEN 2.31

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$4.83 PEN 16.42

-31.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$5.86 PEN 19.93

305.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.98 PEN 6.74

40.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$3.06 PEN 10.42

-6.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.27 PEN 0.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.69 PEN 5.74

-72.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.61 PEN 5.48

-72.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.79 PEN 9.49

118.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.51 PEN 5.13

-47.68%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$18.8K PEN 63.9K

39.17%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$22.1K PEN 75.2K

45.27%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$33.09 PEN 113

141.58%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$14.07 PEN 47.86

-71.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$30.14 PEN 103

-21.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$30.93 PEN 105

219.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$4.76 PEN 16.19

-12.82%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$36.52 PEN 124

52.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$28.63 PEN 97.4

33.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$61.6 PEN 210

43.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$70.4 PEN 239

10.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$304 PEN 1,033

231.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$250 PEN 850

170.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$582 PEN 1,979

491.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$410 PEN 1,395

397.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$3,889 PEN 13.2K

-26.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,754 PEN 5,968

29.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$432 PEN 1,471

-61.79%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Cusco: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $304 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cusco pays 162% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $194 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, Cusco earns 162% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $304 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Cusco versus $1,419 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.