Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and East Lansing, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
East Lansing, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,318
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • East Lansing, MI $2,318

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,429 in East Lansing, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • East Lansing, MI $3,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,540 in East Lansing, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • East Lansing, MI $4,540

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 41% less than in East Lansing, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, East Lansing, MI 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$16.62 $16.62
-79.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$73.9 $73.9
-52.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$12.21 $12.21
-52.50%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$5.24 $5.24
-47.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$2.46 $2.46
-33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$2.20 $2.20
-62.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$4.93 $4.93
-45.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$6.47 $6.47
-33.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$0.84 $0.84
78.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$2.92 $2.92
-21.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$5.18 $5.18
-77.22%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.75 $2.75
-22.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$10.93 $10.93
59.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$16.78 $16.78
-75.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$16.59 $16.59
-26.28%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$5.24 $5.24
-32.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.53 $1.53
2.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$6.76 $6.76
-66.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$3.61 $3.61
-46.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$5.81 $5.81
-67.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$5.66 $5.66
-59.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.15 $2.15
-53.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$3.96 $3.96
-86.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$9.58 $9.58
-76.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$16.14 $16.14
42.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.94 $1.94
20.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$1.52 $1.52
91.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$1.60 $1.60
-85.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$50.5 $50.5
-82.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$9.80 $9.80
-95.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$3.20 $3.20
-85.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$9.93 $9.93
-45.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$0.97 $0.97
-9.28%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$34.5K $34.5K
-28.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$25.8K $25.8K
20.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$173 $173
-51.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$54.1 $54.1
-88.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$63.1 $63.1
-70.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$36.22 $36.22
54.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$15.24 $15.24
18.83%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$11.21 $11.21
-60.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$645 $645
-23.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$11.0K $11.0K
-47.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$54.2 $54.2
-14.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$37.29 $37.29
-5.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$69.0 $69.0
14.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$85.0 $85.0
-7.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$1,231 $1,231
-7.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$1,041 $1,041
-35.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$2,063 $2,063
69.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$1,684 $1,684
0.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$2,070 $2,070
34.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,594 $1,594
40.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
East Lansing, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$6,117 $6,117
-97.31%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.56
110.06%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
East Lansing, MI
$1K 54.1% $366
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
East Lansing, MI
$446 53.6% $156
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
East Lansing, MI
$289 165% $180
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
East Lansing, MI
$290 168% $182
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
East Lansing, MI
$110 2.7% $2.9
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
East Lansing, MI
$59 9.2% $5.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
East Lansing, MI
$83 559% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 3617% 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 $74.0 in East Lansing, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $446 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI
🕒 Local time
17:34 5:34 PM
05:34 5:34 AM
12 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
47,741
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali East Lansing, MI 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • East Lansing, MI

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 East Lansing, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in East Lansing, MI?
Ubud, Bali and East Lansing, MI differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $2,318 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 3617% lower in East Lansing, MI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in East Lansing, MI?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,231 in East Lansing, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or East Lansing, MI?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI – a 69% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How do commuting costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in East Lansing, MI?
A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 473% less than in East Lansing, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in East Lansing, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and East Lansing, MI?
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.
Is Ubud, Bali or East Lansing, MI safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and East Lansing, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or East Lansing, MI?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in East Lansing, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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