Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL.

Ubud, Bali $1,348
Des Plaines, IL $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL.

Ubud, Bali $2,312
Des Plaines, IL $4,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL.

Ubud, Bali $3,276
Des Plaines, IL $5,750

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 56% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Des Plaines, IL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$20.88 $20.88

-84.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

$89.5 $89.5

-60.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

$12.87 $12.87

-55.24%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

$5.65 $5.65

-53.45%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

$2.59 $2.59

-32.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$2.32 $2.32

-66.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$6.95 $6.95

-61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

$8.02 $8.02

-43.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$0.95 $0.95

61.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

$3.49 $3.49

-36.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$4.23 $4.23

-71.16%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$4.16 $4.16

-48.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

$14.67 $14.67

20.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

$13.02 $13.02

-70.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

$18.95 $18.95

-36.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

$4.75 $4.75

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$1.63 $1.63

-7.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$4.16 $4.16

-44.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$4.82 $4.82

-58.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$2.66 $2.66

-31.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$2.74 $2.74

-12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$2.15 $2.15

-53.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

$2.41 $2.41

-78.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$10.65 $10.65

-79.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

$14.86 $14.86

54.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

$2.55 $2.55

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$3.53 $3.53

-15.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,255

$2.02 $2.02

-88.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

$60.8 $60.8

-88.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,876

$3.17 $3.17

-86.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,582

$1.37 $1.37

-69.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

$24.93 $24.93

-78.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.05 $1.05

-20.00%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

$35.9K $35.9K

-32.28%

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

$24.8K $24.8K

28.45%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$195 $195

-58.53%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

$60.5 $60.5

-89.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$77.2 $77.2

-76.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

$125 $125

-55.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

$40.72 $40.72

-54.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

$15.16 $15.16

-72.03%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$1,545 $1,545

-68.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

$23.5K $23.5K

-75.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

$65.3 $65.3

-30.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

$51.0 $51.0

-32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$101 $101

-21.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$123 $123

-36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

$2,093 $2,093

-46.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

$1,521 $1,521

-55.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

$3,861 $3,861

-6.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

$2,536 $2,536

-31.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

$3,174 $3,174

-10.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

$2,521 $2,521

-8.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$6,220 $6,220

-97.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.77

103.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6% 126% $847

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14% 44.4% $129

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5% 218% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 43.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1% 215% $227

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7%

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2% 144% $91

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 651% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 3654% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $419 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

07:55 7:55 AM

18:55 6:55 PM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

60,675

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Des Plaines, IL 15,650 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Des Plaines, IL

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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 128% in total monthly costs ($1,348 vs $3,073 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3654% lower in Des Plaines, IL. 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: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Des Plaines, IL. 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 $35.00 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Des Plaines, IL 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.