Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ha Long Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ha Long Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $734 in Ha Long Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,137 in Ha Long Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,540 in Ha Long Bay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 92% more expensive than in Ha Long Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ha Long Bay is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$1.88 ₫49.5K

83.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$21.49 ₫565.0K

50.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$4.26 ₫112.1K

13.62%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.57 ₫41.4K

75.16%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.47 ₫12.4K

193.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.28 ₫7,297

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$0.93 ₫24.3K

221.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$1.56 ₫40.9K

146.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.42 ₫37.3K

22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.00 ₫26.2K

146.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.95 ₫24.9K

23.16%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.19 ₫31.2K

104.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$11.56 ₫303.9K

25.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$3.74 ₫98.2K

16.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$9.71 ₫255.3K

23.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$2.75 ₫72.2K

35.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.06 ₫27.9K

53.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.34 ₫35.1K

104.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.13 ₫29.8K

98.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$1.03 ₫27.1K

86.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.00 ₫26.4K

128.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.63 ₫16.6K

68.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.49 ₫12.9K

46.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.31 ₫34.5K

151.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$11.27 ₫296.4K

105.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$0.80 ₫21.0K

247.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.58 ₫41.5K

72.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.34 ₫9,030

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$6.44 ₫169.3K

25.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.79 ₫20.7K

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.63 ₫16.5K

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$2.74 ₫72.1K

127.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.84 ₫22.2K

-3.57%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$35.1K ₫923.8M

-24.26%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$32.2K ₫846.3M

-0.00%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$76.0 ₫2.0M

3.15%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$5.72 ₫150.4K

-28.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$8.68 ₫228.2K

180.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$21.33 ₫560.9K

362.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$7.72 ₫203.1K

-17.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$3.09 ₫81.2K

29.13%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$271 ₫7.1M

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$11.6K ₫304.0M

-42.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$40.33 ₫1.1M

34.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$22.92 ₫602.5K

64.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$86.0 ₫2.3M

0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$75.9 ₫2.0M

0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$359 ₫9.4M

176.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$253 ₫6.6M

166.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$692 ₫18.2M

387.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$458 ₫12.0M

348.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,716 ₫71.4M

3.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$1,248 ₫32.8M

78.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.1

45.93%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ha Long Bay: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $359 in Ha Long Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Ha Long Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $189 per month, with Ha Long Bay 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 Ha Long Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ha Long Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 92% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,101 in Ha Long Bay 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 $359 in Ha Long Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ha Long Bay runs roughly 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $271 in Ha Long Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $734 in Ha Long Bay versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ha Long Bay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ha Long Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ha Long Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ha Long Bay 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 Ha Long Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.