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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $773 in Ha Long Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,234 in Ha Long Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,695 in Ha Long Bay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 81% more expensive than in Ha Long Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Ha Long Bay is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$1.92 ₫50.1K

75.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$18.96 ₫493.9K

103.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$4.28 ₫111.5K

28.97%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$1.57 ₫40.8K

68.15%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.37 ₫9,745

351.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.34 ₫8,742

126.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$0.81 ₫21.1K

224.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$1.48 ₫38.5K

189.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.51 ₫39.4K

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.04 ₫27.0K

113.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.98 ₫25.6K

15.31%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.11 ₫29.0K

88.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$11.12 ₫289.6K

56.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$3.72 ₫96.8K

4.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$9.69 ₫252.4K

29.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$3.19 ₫83.1K

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.06 ₫27.5K

47.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.28 ₫33.4K

83.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.22 ₫31.8K

68.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$1.05 ₫27.5K

80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.14 ₫29.8K

105.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.65 ₫16.9K

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.53 ₫13.8K

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$1.41 ₫36.7K

59.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$11.94 ₫311.2K

99.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.82 ₫21.3K

181.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.57 ₫41.0K

78.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.33 ₫8,704

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$6.47 ₫168.7K

33.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$0.73 ₫19.0K

-34.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.57 ₫14.9K

-21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$2.44 ₫63.5K

134.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$0.89 ₫23.2K

-14.61%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$29.9K ₫779.7M

-18.19%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$29.7K ₫774.3M

8.08%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$76.2 ₫2.0M

9.72%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$5.91 ₫153.9K

9.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$8.27 ₫215.5K

129.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$22.28 ₫580.6K

151.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$7.53 ₫196.1K

147.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$3.14 ₫81.7K

36.31%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$159 ₫4.1M

206.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$12.2K ₫319.0M

-52.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$44.27 ₫1.2M

2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$26.04 ₫678.4K

39.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$84.6 ₫2.2M

-3.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$80.2 ₫2.1M

0.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$407 ₫10.6M

174.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$268 ₫7.0M

161.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$731 ₫19.0M

383.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$620 ₫16.1M

184.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$2,781 ₫72.5M

1.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,279 ₫33.3M

79.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.55

61.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ha Long Bay: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $407 in Ha Long Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Ha Long Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,160 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $407 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 34% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $159 in Ha Long Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $773 in Ha Long Bay versus $1,396 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 81% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.