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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $618 in General Santos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,007 in General Santos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,396 in General Santos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 126% more expensive than in General Santos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, General Santos is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.9K

$3.42 ₱214

-1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 685.5K

$27.30 ₱1,707

41.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 98.1K

$2.76 ₱173

100.00%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 47.0K

$2.61 ₱163

1.15%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.7K

$0.30 ₱18.85

456.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

$0.25 ₱15.70

208.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.8K

$1.58 ₱99.1

66.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$2.36 ₱147

81.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

$2.01 ₱126

-22.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.13 ₱70.9

96.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

$0.88 ₱54.9

28.41%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 37.1K

$1.94 ₱121

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 309.0K

$6.62 ₱414

162.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.7K

$4.15 ₱260

-6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 222.9K

$8.73 ₱546

43.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 64.2K

$2.69 ₱168

34.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

$1.12 ₱70.0

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.8K

$2.33 ₱146

0.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.5K

$1.21 ₱75.7

70.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

$2.08 ₱130

-8.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

$3.10 ₱194

-24.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.20 ₱74.7

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,854

$0.66 ₱41.43

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.0K

$2.41 ₱151

-6.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 422.9K

$8.05 ₱503

195.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 41.1K

$1.26 ₱78.8

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.8K

$1.60 ₱99.9

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,839

$0.41 ₱25.86

-34.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.9K

$8.20 ₱513

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,554

$0.83 ₱52.1

-42.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,924

$0.23 ₱14.37

95.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.6K

$0.83 ₱52.0

589.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$1.07 ₱66.7

-28.97%

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

$24.5K Rp 434.9M

$20.8K ₱1.3M

17.58%

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

$32.1K Rp 570.6M

$18.7K ₱1.2M

72.03%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$75.1 ₱4,696

11.25%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.7K

$6.50 ₱406

-0.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 337.4K

$31.86 ₱1,992

-40.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 994.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 330.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$4.73 ₱296

-9.51%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$108 ₱6,772

349.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 104.0M

$7,671 ₱479.7K

-23.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 809.3K

$62.3 ₱3,896

-26.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 646.3K

$26.97 ₱1,686

34.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

$71.2 ₱4,454

15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$61.1 ₱3,822

31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

$178 ₱11.1K

527.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.5M

$112 ₱6,973

528.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.8M

$367 ₱23.0K

862.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.3M

$241 ₱15.1K

631.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.31

65.82%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for General Santos: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $178 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $196 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 126% 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 $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $927 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $178 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 $27.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $618 in General Santos – a 126% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $618 in General Santos versus $1,396 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 $618 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 126% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.