Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and General Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and General Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $701 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,078 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,455 in General Santos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 102% more expensive than General Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, General Santos is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.45 ₱275

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$10.55 ₱650

210.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$2.84 ₱175

74.30%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.06 ₱127

31.55%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.36 ₱21.95

272.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.30 ₱18.33

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.13 ₱69.5

158.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$0.91 ₱56.2

335.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.40 ₱86.2

29.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.93 ₱57.3

170.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.85 ₱52.3

36.47%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.06 ₱127

19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$6.15 ₱379

139.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.01 ₱185

43.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.38 ₱394

90.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.96 ₱183

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.14 ₱70.6

36.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.30 ₱142

23.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.43 ₱26.29

441.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.92 ₱56.9

107.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$3.14 ₱193

-29.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.03 ₱63.7

-1.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.60 ₱36.94

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.17 ₱134

53.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$8.18 ₱504

190.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.09 ₱67.0

155.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.50 ₱92.6

90.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.34 ₱20.82

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$8.93 ₱550

-10.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.82 ₱50.6

-43.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.16 ₱9.83

181.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$1.31 ₱81.0

365.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ₱67.7

-28.18%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

27.07%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

56.64%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.6 ₱4,601

7.13%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$34.23 ₱2,111

-88.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$36.19 ₱2,231

-35.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$33.55 ₱2,069

194.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$1.75 ₱108

278.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$3.11 ₱192

33.44%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$58.8 ₱3,628

416.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,404 ₱86.5K

371.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$44.99 ₱2,774

23.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$16.05 ₱990

138.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$69.6 ₱4,293

27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$68.7 ₱4,234

13.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$271 ₱16.7K

272.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$179 ₱11.0K

277.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$584 ₱36.0K

489.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$389 ₱24.0K

424.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.5

104.31%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for General Santos: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $271 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $166 per month, with General Santos 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 General Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making General Santos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,052 in General Santos to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $271 in General Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $701 in General Santos – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $701 in General Santos versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in General Santos but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes General Santos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $701 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and General Santos 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 General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.