Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Durham, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Durham, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,423 in Durham, NC.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Durham, NC $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,700 in Durham, NC.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Durham, NC $3,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,978 in Durham, NC.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Durham, NC $4,978

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 44% less than in Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$15.31 $15.31

-78.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$106 $106

-66.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$9.96 $9.96

-44.48%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$4.79 $4.79

-43.22%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$3.02 $3.02

-43.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$2.10 $2.10

-63.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$6.18 $6.18

-57.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$7.12 $7.12

-38.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.13 $1.13

31.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$4.70 $4.70

-51.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$4.52 $4.52

-73.67%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.45 $3.45

-40.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$19.01 $19.01

-6.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$16.98 $16.98

-76.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$17.05 $17.05

-28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$5.67 $5.67

-35.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.83 $1.83

-16.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$3.90 $3.90

-42.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$4.58 $4.58

-56.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$2.27 $2.27

-18.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$3.90 $3.90

-37.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.75 $2.75

-64.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$1.96 $1.96

-73.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$8.57 $8.57

-74.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$15.23 $15.23

46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.52 $1.52

48.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$4.01 $4.01

-25.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$1.96 $1.96

-77.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$0.60 $0.60

-28.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.01 $1.01

-18.81%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$30.9K $30.9K

-22.85%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$26.0K $26.0K

21.90%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$226 $226

-65.05%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$56.8 $56.8

-88.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$71.5 $71.5

-74.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$51.5 $51.5

-3.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$12.36 $12.36

-65.45%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$1,567 $1,567

-68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$45.29 $45.29

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$35.33 $35.33

-1.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$90.7 $90.7

-11.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$134 $134

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,502 $1,502

-25.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$1,118 $1,118

-39.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$2,272 $2,272

56.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,970 $1,970

-12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$3,463 $3,463

-21.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$2,420 $2,420

-5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,786 $4,786

-96.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.81

102.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2% 66.5% $446

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Durham, NC

$456 18.8% 58.1% $168

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Durham, NC

$276 11.4% 156% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Durham, NC

$137 5.7% 27.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Durham, NC

$355 14.6% 241% $250

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Durham, NC

$76 3.2% 31.4% $18

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2% 56.5% $6.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays about 29 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $106 in Durham, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $456 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

23:12 11:12 PM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

283,506

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Durham, NC 16,640 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Durham, NC

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 Durham, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Durham, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,423 in Durham, NC – Ubud, Bali is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value at $1,349 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Durham, NC are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Durham, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.