Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Dien Bien Phu Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Dien Bien Phu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $752 in Dien Bien Phu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,213 in Dien Bien Phu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,675 in Dien Bien Phu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 83% more expensive than in Dien Bien Phu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Dien Bien Phu is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$1.96 ₫51.1K

68.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$19.40 ₫506.4K

101.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$4.40 ₫114.7K

27.73%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$1.74 ₫45.5K

51.72%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$0.48 ₫12.6K

229.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.31 ₫7,976

129.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$0.81 ₫21.0K

237.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$1.42 ₫37.2K

204.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.49 ₫38.9K

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.00 ₫26.0K

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$0.99 ₫25.8K

4.04%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$1.54 ₫40.2K

37.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$10.99 ₫286.8K

57.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$3.78 ₫98.7K

6.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$9.93 ₫259.3K

25.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$3.09 ₫80.5K

19.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.12 ₫29.3K

44.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$1.34 ₫35.0K

69.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.21 ₫31.6K

64.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$1.01 ₫26.2K

81.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$1.14 ₫29.6K

97.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.66 ₫17.3K

57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.48 ₫12.5K

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.36 ₫35.5K

63.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$11.55 ₫301.5K

101.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$0.81 ₫21.3K

195.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.65 ₫43.1K

73.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.31 ₫8,075

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

$6.66 ₫173.9K

7.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.76 ₫19.8K

-39.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.58 ₫15.2K

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$2.33 ₫60.7K

144.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.83 ₫21.6K

-8.43%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$30.2K ₫789.3M

-18.76%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$29.9K ₫780.5M

3.75%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$77.9 ₫2.0M

5.44%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$5.95 ₫155.2K

6.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$8.64 ₫225.5K

114.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$21.86 ₫570.6K

156.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$7.42 ₫193.8K

148.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$3.12 ₫81.5K

36.54%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$162 ₫4.2M

202.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$12.6K ₫328.1M

-53.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$45.71 ₫1.2M

0.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$26.45 ₫690.3K

35.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$84.8 ₫2.2M

-6.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$82.4 ₫2.2M

-1.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$405 ₫10.6M

182.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$272 ₫7.1M

154.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$747 ₫19.5M

372.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$615 ₫16.0M

177.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$2,842 ₫74.2M

-2.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$1,321 ₫34.5M

71.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.55

61.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Last update for Dien Bien Phu: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $405 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Dien Bien Phu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Dien Bien Phu 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 Dien Bien Phu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dien Bien Phu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,069 in Ubud, Bali and $1,128 in Dien Bien Phu 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $405 in Dien Bien Phu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dien Bien Phu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $752 in Dien Bien Phu – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $752 in Dien Bien Phu versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dien Bien Phu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Dien Bien Phu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dien Bien Phu 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 Dien Bien Phu 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 Dien Bien Phu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 83% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.