Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and El Cajon, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $3,319 in El Cajon, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
161

Cost of Living Index in El Cajon, CA
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El Cajon, CA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

El Cajon, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in El Cajon, CA

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 El Cajon, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,319 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
El Cajon, CA $3,319

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,260 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
El Cajon, CA $4,260

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,202 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
El Cajon, CA $5,202

Ubud, Bali is about 59% cheaper than El Cajon, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and El Cajon, CA sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 0%, El Cajon, CA by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$19.88 $19.88

-83.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$80.2 $80.2

-56.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$14.86 $14.86

-61.64%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$5.98 $5.98

-56.19%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$3.24 $3.24

-46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$2.67 $2.67

-69.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$7.71 $7.71

-65.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$9.58 $9.58

-54.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.15 $1.15

36.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$4.12 $4.12

-46.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$4.83 $4.83

-75.57%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$4.74 $4.74

-54.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$14.42 $14.42

22.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$16.73 $16.73

-77.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$15.23 $15.23

-21.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$4.67 $4.67

-22.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.64 $1.64

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$4.67 $4.67

-50.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$4.81 $4.81

-60.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$3.46 $3.46

-48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$2.20 $2.20

5.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$2.05 $2.05

-51.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$2.12 $2.12

-75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$11.86 $11.86

-80.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$16.27 $16.27

35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.93 $1.93

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$3.18 $3.18

-6.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.99 $1.99

-88.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$3.08 $3.08

-84.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$2.08 $2.08

-79.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$27.50 $27.50

-80.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.56 $1.56

-46.79%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$29.1K $29.1K

-18.02%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$26.1K $26.1K

25.69%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$165 $165

-51.65%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$67.3 $67.3

-90.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$72.8 $72.8

-74.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$41.39 $41.39

30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$14.96 $14.96

-71.59%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$1,930 $1,930

-74.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$36.6K $36.6K

-84.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$57.2 $57.2

-20.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$39.81 $39.81

-12.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$99.3 $99.3

-21.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$147 $147

-46.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$2,378 $2,378

-52.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$1,972 $1,972

-65.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$2,495 $2,495

44.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$2,185 $2,185

-22.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$2,399 $2,399

13.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$2,365 $2,365

-5.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$3,872 $3,872

-95.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.39

115.65%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Cajon, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

El Cajon, CA

$2K 59.4% 193% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

El Cajon, CA

$436 13.2% 52% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

El Cajon, CA

$155 4.7% 45.2% $48

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

El Cajon, CA

$357 10.8% 235% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

El Cajon, CA

$306 9.2% 191% $200

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

El Cajon, CA

$71 2.2% 13.9% $8.7

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

El Cajon, CA

$21 * 0.7% 72.3% $9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,378 in El Cajon, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2227% higher in El Cajon, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $80.0 in El Cajon, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $436 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 El Cajon, CA

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

15 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

106,215

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali El Cajon, CA 14,020 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
El Cajon, CA

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 El Cajon, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – El Cajon, CA is pricier by about 145%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,978 in El Cajon, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $80.0 in El Cajon, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 52% more in El Cajon, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in El Cajon, CA at $3,319. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Cajon, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, El Cajon, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.