Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Irvine, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $4,001 in Irvine, CA, rent and utilities included – about $31,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Irvine, CA, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Irvine, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Irvine, CA

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 Irvine, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,001 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Irvine, CA $4,001

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,760 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Irvine, CA $5,760

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $7,519 in Irvine, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Irvine, CA $7,519

Ubud, Bali is about 66% cheaper than Irvine, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$25.39 $25.39
-86.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$101 $101
-64.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$11.49 $11.49
-51.87%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$5.71 $5.71
-52.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.82 $2.82
-39.72%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$2.03 $2.03
-62.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$8.23 $8.23
-67.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$9.88 $9.88
-55.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.19 $1.19
25.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$5.71 $5.71
-60.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$4.28 $4.28
-72.20%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$5.06 $5.06
-59.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$12.56 $12.56
40.92%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$20.26 $20.26
-80.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$13.94 $13.94
-12.55%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$5.49 $5.49
-33.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.72 $1.72
-11.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.25 $4.25
-47.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$6.68 $6.68
-70.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.53 $3.53
-47.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$3.60 $3.60
-32.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.31 $2.31
-57.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$2.20 $2.20
-76.82%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$11.81 $11.81
-81.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
$14.71 $14.71
51.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.75 $1.75
29.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$3.15 $3.15
-5.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$1.95 $1.95
-87.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$71.8 $71.8
-89.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$4.48 $4.48
-90.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$1.84 $1.84
-76.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$35.43 $35.43
-84.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.51 $1.51
-45.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$27.9K $27.9K
-14.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$26.8K $26.8K
18.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$212 $212
-62.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$70.2 $70.2
-90.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$68.9 $68.9
-73.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$38.15 $38.15
29.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
$13.08 $13.08
34.94%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$12.10 $12.10
-64.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$1,897 $1,897
-74.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$42.3K $42.3K
-86.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$72.7 $72.7
-38.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$41.09 $41.09
-14.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$81.5 $81.5
-1.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$168 $168
-52.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$3,356 $3,356
-66.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$2,471 $2,471
-72.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$5,294 $5,294
-32.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$4,024 $4,024
-57.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$9,053 $9,053
-69.83%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$8,007 $8,007
-71.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Irvine, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$6,741 $6,741
-97.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.64
107.53%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Irvine, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Irvine, CA
$2.5K 268% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Irvine, CA
$473 64% $185
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Irvine, CA
$386 259% $279
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Irvine, CA
$163 51.9% $56
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Irvine, CA
$351 238% $247
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Irvine, CA
$62 7.4% $4.3
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Irvine, CA
$93 717% $82

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,356 in Irvine, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Irvine, CA are about 41 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $101 in Irvine, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $473 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Irvine, CA
🕒 Local time
07:47 7:47 AM
16:47 4:47 PM
15 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
209,716
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Irvine, CA 13,920 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Irvine, CA

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 Irvine, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Irvine, CA?
Irvine, CA costs about 197% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Irvine, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $6,002 in Irvine, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Irvine, CA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $3,356 in Irvine, CA.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Irvine, CA?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $101 in Irvine, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Irvine, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $4,001 in Irvine, CA. That makes Ubud, Bali about 66% cheaper.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Irvine, CA?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $4,001 in Irvine, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Irvine, CA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,349 versus $4,001 in Irvine, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Irvine, CA?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Ubud, Bali or to Irvine, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Irvine, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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