Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hanoi Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hanoi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $759 in Hanoi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,237 in Hanoi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,715 in Hanoi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than Hanoi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Hanoi is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$1.97 ₫51.8K

80.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$26.89 ₫706.5K

21.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$4.56 ₫119.7K

8.55%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$1.80 ₫47.2K

50.56%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.49 ₫12.7K

173.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.27 ₫7,104

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$0.94 ₫24.7K

210.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$1.96 ₫51.4K

102.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.37 ₫36.0K

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$0.99 ₫25.9K

154.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.91 ₫24.0K

27.47%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.55 ₫40.8K

58.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$9.19 ₫241.5K

60.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.86 ₫101.5K

11.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$9.81 ₫257.7K

23.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$3.29 ₫86.5K

16.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.06 ₫27.8K

47.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.56 ₫41.1K

81.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.12 ₫29.4K

108.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.02 ₫26.9K

87.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.01 ₫26.4K

117.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.56 ₫14.8K

80.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.54 ₫14.2K

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$1.36 ₫35.7K

144.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$13.09 ₫343.8K

81.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.98 ₫25.6K

184.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.75 ₫46.0K

63.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.36 ₫9,517

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$7.73 ₫203.0K

3.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$0.81 ₫21.2K

-43.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.58 ₫15.1K

-22.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$1.60 ₫41.9K

281.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$0.86 ₫22.5K

-8.14%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$37.8K ₫994.4M

-30.90%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$31.8K ₫834.9M

1.08%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$78.9 ₫2.1M

1.28%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$5.13 ₫134.8K

-20.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$8.93 ₫234.5K

163.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$28.05 ₫737.0K

251.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$11.35 ₫298.1K

-41.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$3.77 ₫99.0K

10.08%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$264 ₫6.9M

15.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$11.5K ₫303.3M

-42.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$44.92 ₫1.2M

23.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$22.90 ₫601.6K

67.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$89.2 ₫2.3M

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$71.7 ₫1.9M

8.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$331 ₫8.7M

203.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$249 ₫6.6M

170.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$773 ₫20.3M

345.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$594 ₫15.6M

243.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$4,919 ₫129.3M

-42.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$2,835 ₫74.5M

-20.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$502 ₫13.2M

-67.10%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hanoi: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $331 in Hanoi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hanoi pays 204% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Hanoi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $193 per month, with Hanoi 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 Hanoi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Hanoi differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $759 including rent). Hanoi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Hanoi earns 204% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $331 in Hanoi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Hanoi runs roughly 4% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $264 in Hanoi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $759 in Hanoi versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hanoi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Hanoi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Hanoi 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 Hanoi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.