Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Elgin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Elgin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,888 in Elgin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,920 in Elgin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,952 in Elgin.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 26% less than in Elgin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% above, Elgin 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$22.78 £16.85

-85.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$67.5 £49.95

-42.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$10.18 £7.53

-45.78%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$4.51 £3.33

-41.46%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$2.10 £1.55

-20.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$1.33 £0.98

-42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$4.51 £3.33

-41.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$6.09 £4.51

-29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.74 £1.29

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.44 £1.07

54.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$2.11 £1.56

-46.45%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$3.74 £2.77

-44.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$9.51 £7.04

82.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$9.68 £7.16

-60.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$18.61 £13.77

-32.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.86 £2.11

26.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.63 £1.20

-4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$2.77 £2.05

-15.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$3.10 £2.29

-33.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$1.88 £1.39

1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.61 £1.19

45.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$1.20 £0.89

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,780

$1.70 £1.25

-67.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$24.02 £17.77

-90.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$11.38 £8.42

109.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$3.32 £2.46

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$3.29 £2.43

-14.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$3.63 £2.69

-92.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$128 £95.0

-93.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$5.96 £4.41

-91.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,864

$1.22 £0.91

-63.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$24.29 £17.97

-76.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$2.11 £1.56

-63.98%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$40.1K £29.7K

-38.92%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$42.5K £31.4K

-24.39%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$212 £157

-60.58%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$18.51 £13.70

-65.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$41.59 £30.77

-54.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.9K

$38.39 £28.40

45.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$5.32 £3.94

250.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$11.75 £8.70

-63.57%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$959 £709

-49.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$21.8K £16.1K

-73.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$36.88 £27.29

23.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$47.88 £35.42

-24.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$103 £76.5

-20.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$93.1 £68.9

-13.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$935 £692

19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$602 £445

16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$1,846 £1,366

91.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$1,216 £900

44.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$5,261 £3,892

-46.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$3,903 £2,887

-41.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$2,034 £1,505

-91.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.76

189.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Elgin: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $935 in Elgin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 1098% 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: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $68.0 in Elgin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $319 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Elgin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Elgin differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $1,888 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1098% lower in Elgin. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $935 in Elgin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 1382% less than in Elgin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $959 in Elgin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,888 in Elgin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Elgin. 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 Elgin 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 35% less than in Elgin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.