Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Hickory, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,078 in Hickory, NC, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Hickory, NC
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Hickory, NC Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Hickory, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Hickory, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Hickory, NC $2,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,962 in Hickory, NC.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Hickory, NC $2,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,847 in Hickory, NC.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Hickory, NC $3,847

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 35% less than in Hickory, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$15.01 $15.01

-77.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$61.7 $61.7

-42.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$11.03 $11.03

-49.86%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$5.00 $5.00

-45.60%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.23 $2.23

-23.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.57 $1.57

-51.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$5.46 $5.46

-51.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$6.79 $6.79

-35.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$0.85 $0.85

75.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$3.65 $3.65

-37.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$3.12 $3.12

-61.86%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.43 $3.43

-40.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$10.74 $10.74

64.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$8.98 $8.98

-55.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$17.00 $17.00

-28.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$3.99 $3.99

-8.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.75 $1.75

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.35 $2.35

-5.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.75 $1.75

12.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$2.38 $2.38

-22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$3.25 $3.25

-25.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.79 $1.79

-44.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$2.11 $2.11

-75.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$9.00 $9.00

-75.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$14.93 $14.93

48.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.66 $1.66

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.93 $2.93

1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$1.22 $1.22

-79.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$44.59 $44.59

-82.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$1.98 $1.98

-77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$2.27 $2.27

-81.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$17.72 $17.72

-69.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.82 $0.82

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$27.0K $27.0K

-11.80%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$26.3K $26.3K

20.84%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$141 $141

-43.78%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$59.9 $59.9

-89.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$54.1 $54.1

-65.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$27.46 $27.46

80.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$14.27 $14.27

-70.08%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$354 $354

38.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$25.3K $25.3K

-77.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$40.75 $40.75

9.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$20.24 $20.24

72.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$39.51 $39.51

102.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$49.94 $49.94

59.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,299 $1,299

-13.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$1,030 $1,030

-34.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,688 $1,688

111.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,522 $1,522

13.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$2,141 $2,141

27.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$2,163 $2,163

5.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,526 $4,526

-96.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.53

149.19%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Hickory, NC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Hickory, NC

$1K 49.6% 53.4% $358

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Hickory, NC

$338 16.3% 17.2% $50

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Hickory, NC

$269 13% 150% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Hickory, NC

$68 3.3% 37% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Hickory, NC

$255 12.3% 145% $151

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Hickory, NC

$56 2.7% 3.5% $2

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Hickory, NC

$63 3% 450% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,299 in Hickory, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hickory, NC pays about 28 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $62 in Hickory, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $338 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Hickory, NC

🕒 Local time

12:09 12:09 PM

23:09 11:09 PM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

40,374

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Hickory, NC 16,550 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Hickory, NC

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 Hickory, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,078 in Hickory, NC, so Ubud, Bali is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,299 in Hickory, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $62 in Hickory, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,078 in Hickory, NC – Ubud, Bali is about 35% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Hickory, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.