Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and General Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in General Santos: $628 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
General Santos
🇵🇭 Philippines
$628
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in General Santos

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 General Santos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $628 in General Santos.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • General Santos $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,009 in General Santos.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • General Santos $1,009

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,391 in General Santos.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • General Santos $1,391

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 118% more expensive than in General Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, General Santos is 53% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$3.38 ₱213
-1.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$27.40 ₱1,725
28.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$2.72 ₱172
113.24%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$2.56 ₱161
6.64%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.28 ₱17.41
485.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.25 ₱15.83
232.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.58 ₱99.3
70.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$2.34 ₱147
83.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$2.00 ₱126
-25.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$1.08 ₱68.2
112.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.87 ₱54.7
35.63%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$1.86 ₱117
15.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$6.38 ₱402
173.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$4.77 ₱300
-15.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$9.25 ₱582
32.22%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$2.74 ₱172
29.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.07 ₱67.2
46.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$2.45 ₱154
-8.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$1.19 ₱74.6
62.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$1.98 ₱125
-5.05%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$3.28 ₱207
-30.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.24 ₱78.2
-20.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.68 ₱42.60
-22.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$2.46 ₱155
-7.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$7.76 ₱488
196.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.25 ₱78.5
87.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$1.68 ₱106
73.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.39 ₱24.37
-38.46%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$8.15 ₱513
8.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.78 ₱49.25
-38.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.25 ₱15.79
84.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$0.82 ₱51.4
564.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.12 ₱70.7
-21.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$20.9K ₱1.3M
17.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$19.1K ₱1.2M
63.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$76.6 ₱4,825
8.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$6.53 ₱411
-1.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$31.67 ₱1,994
-41.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$4.91 ₱309
-10.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$109 ₱6,840
353.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$7,532 ₱474.2K
-23.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$59.8 ₱3,767
-22.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$30.67 ₱1,931
15.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$70.3 ₱4,428
12.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$60.7 ₱3,823
29.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$174 ₱11.0K
554.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$112 ₱7,068
501.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$359 ₱22.6K
876.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$238 ₱15.0K
613.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
General Santos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 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: October 11, 2026

Last update for General Santos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
General Santos
$112 83.4% $563
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
General Santos
$199 31.5% $91
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
General Santos
$81 25.9% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
General Santos
$115 6.3% $6.8
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
General Santos
$100 7.3% $7.8
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
General Santos
$9.8 * 84.8% $55
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
General Santos
$12 6.5% $0.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $174 in General Santos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in General Santos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $199 per month, with General Santos cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇭 General Santos
🕒 Local time
16:03 4:03 PM
16:03 4:03 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
697,315
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali General Santos 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • General Santos

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 General Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or General Santos?
General Santos wins on cost – living expenses run 118% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in General Santos?
You'd need roughly $2,051 in Ubud, Bali and $942 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to General Santos?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $174 in General Santos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in General Santos?
Dining out is cheaper in General Santos – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to General Santos?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $628 in General Santos – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in General Santos?
At $628 in General Santos versus $1,368 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or General Santos?
Both work as nomad bases, but General Santos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $628 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes General Santos hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to General Santos?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find General Santos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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