Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Independence, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,034 in Independence, KS, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Independence, KS, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Independence, KS
🇺🇸 United States
$2,034
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Independence, KS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,034 in Independence, KS.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Independence, KS $2,034

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,012 in Independence, KS.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Independence, KS $3,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,990 in Independence, KS.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Independence, KS $3,990

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Independence, KS is 50% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.2K
$19.98 $19.98
-83.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 628.6K
$74.8 $74.8
-53.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.1K
$11.47 $11.47
-51.44%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$5.41 $5.41
-51.57%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.71 $2.71
-43.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$2.02 $2.02
-68.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$5.83 $5.83
-54.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.3K
$7.34 $7.34
-41.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$1.01 $1.01
44.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$3.60 $3.60
-36.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$4.02 $4.02
-72.39%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$4.05 $4.05
-48.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.2K
$12.21 $12.21
30.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.4K
$12.46 $12.46
-68.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 206.8K
$17.26 $17.26
-33.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.4K
$5.16 $5.16
-31.20%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.59 $1.59
-3.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.49 $4.49
-50.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$4.22 $4.22
-53.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$2.70 $2.70
-31.11%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$2.82 $2.82
-14.18%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$2.11 $2.11
-51.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,475
$2.30 $2.30
-77.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$10.27 $10.27
-78.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.2K
$15.08 $15.08
44.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$2.00 $2.00
16.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.53 $3.53
-15.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,542
$2.24 $2.24
-88.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.3K
$64.7 $64.7
-87.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,941
$3.19 $3.19
-86.21%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,489
$1.96 $1.96
-76.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
$30.80 $30.80
-81.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.00 $1.00
-17.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.5M
$28.4K $28.4K
-13.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.0M
$26.3K $26.3K
20.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$201 $201
-61.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
$57.3 $57.3
-89.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.1K
$69.1 $69.1
-72.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.0K
$39.52 $39.52
29.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$13.95 $13.95
-68.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$1,389 $1,389
-64.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.7M
$21.2K $21.2K
-42.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.2K
$53.6 $53.6
-15.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 632.9K
$44.07 $44.07
-20.83%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$89.9 $89.9
-12.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$112 $112
-30.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
$1,591 $1,591
-32.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$695 $695
-4.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$2,539 $2,539
38.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$1,051 $1,051
59.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
$2,430 $2,430
-3.69%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
$2,663 $2,663
-16.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Independence, KS
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$5,237 $5,237
-96.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.59
109.10%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Independence, KS: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Independence, KS
$695 4.6% $30
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Independence, KS
$401 43.3% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Independence, KS
$135 26.8% $29
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Independence, KS
$322 204% $216
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Independence, KS
$328 219% $225
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Independence, KS
$67 12.8% $7.6
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Independence, KS
$87 625% $75

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $1,591 in Independence, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Independence, KS pays about 31 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $75 in Independence, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $401 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Independence, KS
🕒 Local time
23:48 11:48 PM
09:48 9:48 AM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
117,213
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,309 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Independence, KS 15,550 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Independence, KS

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 Independence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Independence, KS?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Independence, KS. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Independence, KS?
On paper, salaries run 97% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Independence, KS?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,591 in Independence, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Independence, KS?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Independence, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Independence, KS?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $75 in Independence, KS. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Independence, KS?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ubud, Bali or Independence, KS?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Independence, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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