Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Gostivar

For one person, living is cheaper in Gostivar: $835 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Gostivar
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
$835
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Gostivar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $835 in Gostivar.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Gostivar $835

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,262 in Gostivar.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Gostivar $1,262

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,689 in Gostivar.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Gostivar $1,689

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 64% more expensive than in Gostivar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Gostivar is 38% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$6.25 MKD 341
-46.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$26.92 MKD 1,468
30.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$5.81 MKD 317
-0.17%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$1.39 MKD 75.9
96.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$1.32 MKD 72.2
24.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.07 MKD 58.1
-22.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.31 MKD 71.5
106.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$1.77 MKD 96.3
142.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.29 MKD 70.2
16.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$0.75 MKD 40.84
206.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.42 MKD 77.3
-16.90%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.46 MKD 134
-13.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$6.49 MKD 354
169.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$5.59 MKD 305
-27.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$14.35 MKD 783
-14.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$1.43 MKD 78.1
148.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.39 MKD 75.8
12.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.35 MKD 73.8
65.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$1.78 MKD 97.1
8.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$0.83 MKD 45.18
126.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$0.70 MKD 38.06
227.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.64 MKD 34.74
54.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.57 MKD 30.92
-7.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$2.76 MKD 150
-17.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$4.63 MKD 253
396.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$0.88 MKD 47.86
165.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$1.41 MKD 77.1
106.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.74 MKD 40.29
-67.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$21.14 MKD 1,153
-58.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.75 MKD 40.97
-36.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.34 MKD 18.33
35.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$7.75 MKD 423
-29.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.44 MKD 78.4
-38.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$31.9K MKD 1.7M
-22.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$27.1K MKD 1.5M
15.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$129 MKD 7,046
-35.73%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$10.75 MKD 586
-40.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$18.87 MKD 1,029
-1.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$21.76 MKD 1,187
156.53%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$18.73 MKD 1,022
-3.31%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$7.10 MKD 387
-38.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$362 MKD 19.7K
36.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$5,736 MKD 312.9K
0.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$36.91 MKD 2,014
25.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$36.52 MKD 1,992
-3.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$102 MKD 5,589
-22.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$115 MKD 6,252
-31.61%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$275 MKD 15.0K
315.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$194 MKD 10.6K
248.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$504 MKD 27.5K
595.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$298 MKD 16.3K
469.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$1,525 MKD 83.2K
82.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,133 MKD 61.8K
97.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Gostivar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$863 MKD 47.1K
-80.94%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.23
225.77%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gostivar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Gostivar
$194 71.3% $482
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Gostivar
$186 36% $105
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Gostivar
$104 4.6% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gostivar
$159 47% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Gostivar
$131 21.6% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Gostivar
$36 44.3% $29
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Gostivar
$27 111% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $275 in Gostivar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gostivar pays 425% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Gostivar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $186 per month, with Gostivar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇰 Gostivar
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
01:47 1:47 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
36,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MKD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

North Macedonian Denar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 54.55 MKD (100 MKD = 1.83 USD). 1 EUR = 61.33 MKD (100 MKD = 1.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Gostivar 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Gostivar

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 Gostivar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Gostivar?
Gostivar wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gostivar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Gostivar?
On paper, salaries run 425% lower in Gostivar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Gostivar?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $275 in Gostivar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Gostivar?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $835 in Gostivar – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Ubud, Bali compared to Gostivar?
A monthly transit pass in Gostivar runs roughly 140% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Gostivar?
At $835 in Gostivar versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Gostivar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Gostivar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Gostivar?
Both work as nomad bases, but Gostivar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $835 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Gostivar hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Gostivar?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Gostivar 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 Gostivar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% 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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