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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $696 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,087 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,478 in General Santos.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, General Santos is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$4.37 ₱269

-21.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$10.84 ₱667

198.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$2.92 ₱180

65.75%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.12 ₱131

29.72%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.33 ₱20.18

318.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.32 ₱19.77

134.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.17 ₱72.0

155.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$0.85 ₱52.4

352.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.39 ₱85.8

25.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.87 ₱53.5

182.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.93 ₱57.5

25.81%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.01 ₱124

20.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$6.06 ₱373

139.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.93 ₱181

48.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$6.38 ₱393

87.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.88 ₱177

29.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.17 ₱72.2

39.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$2.41 ₱149

13.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$0.43 ₱26.34

420.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.90 ₱55.5

113.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$3.13 ₱193

-27.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.07 ₱66.0

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.56 ₱34.67

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$2.18 ₱134

50.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$7.96 ₱490

191.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.09 ₱67.0

155.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.51 ₱92.7

80.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.37 ₱22.57

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$8.70 ₱536

-6.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.82 ₱50.3

-41.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.15 ₱9.22

180.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$1.31 ₱80.4

374.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.13 ₱69.8

-28.32%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

30.43%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

52.48%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$74.0 ₱4,553

5.95%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$34.10 ₱2,100

-88.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$36.35 ₱2,238

-33.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$34.19 ₱2,105

188.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$1.81 ₱111

250.28%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$3.15 ₱194

26.67%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$58.1 ₱3,577

425.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$1,392 ₱85.7K

377.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$45.43 ₱2,797

19.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$15.62 ₱962

142.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$71.8 ₱4,422

20.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$68.0 ₱4,189

12.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$265 ₱16.3K

274.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$174 ₱10.7K

285.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$584 ₱36.0K

477.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$396 ₱24.4K

417.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 11, 2026

Last update for General Santos: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $265 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $164 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,045 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $265 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $696 in General Santos – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in General Santos versus $1,408 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 $696 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.