Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and the Galapagos Islands

For one person, living is cheaper in the Galapagos Islands: $884 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
43

Cost of Living Index in the Galapagos Islands
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Galapagos Islands Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Galapagos Islands

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in the Galapagos Islands

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 the Galapagos Islands actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $884 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Galapagos Islands $884

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,336 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Galapagos Islands $1,336

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,789 in the Galapagos Islands, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Galapagos Islands $1,789

Ubud, Bali costs about 53% more than the Galapagos Islands, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$3.54 $3.54

-6.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.3K

$27.52 $27.52

29.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.5K

$7.27 $7.27

-23.93%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$2.50 $2.50

8.80%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.85 $0.85

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.66 $0.66

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$2.04 $2.04

29.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$3.54 $3.54

23.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.09 $1.09

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.62 $1.62

40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.57 $1.57

-24.20%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.17 $2.17

-5.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.5K

$5.42 $5.42

226.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$5.55 $5.55

-28.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.4K

$6.21 $6.21

96.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$2.02 $2.02

81.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.16 $1.16

31.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$1.08 $1.08

106.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.07 $1.07

84.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.45 $1.45

27.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.03 $1.03

134.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.51 $0.51

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,324

$0.99 $0.99

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$5.86 $5.86

-62.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.9K

$9.92 $9.92

124.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.51 $1.51

49.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.53 $2.53

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,559

$0.37 $0.37

-32.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.1K

$24.14 $24.14

-67.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,982

$1.48 $1.48

-70.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,811

$1.01 $1.01

-57.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$9.92 $9.92

-45.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.66 $0.66

24.24%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.0M

$25.3K $25.3K

-5.73%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.6M

$28.4K $28.4K

11.84%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$39.48 $39.48

100.25%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.1K

$13.57 $13.57

-52.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.4K

$31.19 $31.19

-40.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 898.7K

$29.46 $29.46

67.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.5K

$14.80 $14.80

19.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$7.18 $7.18

-40.53%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$253 $253

93.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$5,750 $5,750

-1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.7K

$55.7 $55.7

-19.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.8K

$43.02 $43.02

-18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$98.0 $98.0

-18.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$75.9 $75.9

4.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$340 $340

231.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$314 $314

114.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$633 $633

463.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$499 $499

245.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$1,218 $1,218

124.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$998 $998

128.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

37.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for the Galapagos Islands: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Galapagos Islands

$314 35.5% 53.3% $358

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Galapagos Islands

$184 20.9% 36.1% $104

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Galapagos Islands

$103 11.7% 4% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Galapagos Islands

$123 13.9% 14.1% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Galapagos Islands

$84 9.5% 19.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Galapagos Islands

$44 5% 24.5% $14

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Galapagos Islands

$32 3.6% 182% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $340 in the Galapagos Islands. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $28 in the Galapagos Islands. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $184 – making Galapagos Islands the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇪🇨 Galapagos Islands

🕒 Local time

17:32 5:32 PM

03:32 3:32 AM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

32,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Galapagos Islands 16,920 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Galapagos Islands

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 Galapagos Islands: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $884 in the Galapagos Islands – Galapagos Islands comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,326 in the Galapagos Islands. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in the Galapagos Islands, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $340 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 57% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $28 in the Galapagos Islands. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in the Galapagos Islands, where all-in costs run around $884, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Galapagos Islands it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.