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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,317 in Isabela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,951 in Isabela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,585 in Isabela.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 6% more expensive than Isabela, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Isabela is 1% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$11.87 $11.87

-71.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$60.2 $60.2

-46.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$7.85 $7.85

-36.31%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$3.56 $3.56

-20.79%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$1.28 $1.28

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$1.24 $1.24

-41.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.30 $2.30

29.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$3.94 $3.94

0.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.98 $1.98

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$2.79 $2.79

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.24 $1.24

-3.23%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$3.03 $3.03

-21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$8.76 $8.76

64.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$6.74 $6.74

-36.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$12.50 $12.50

-5.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$4.46 $4.46

-15.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$2.62 $2.62

-37.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$4.01 $4.01

-30.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$4.00 $4.00

-43.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$3.94 $3.94

-49.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$3.02 $3.02

-26.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$2.99 $2.99

-64.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$1.93 $1.93

-60.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$12.07 $12.07

-74.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$15.44 $15.44

54.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$2.58 $2.58

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$3.14 $3.14

-11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$1.48 $1.48

-70.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$15.19 $15.19

-60.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.92 $0.92

-13.04%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

-28.33%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$26.4K $26.4K

20.45%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$481 $481

-83.21%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$78.1 $78.1

-94.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$72.8 $72.8

-66.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$12.17 $12.17

-66.80%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$465 $465

-36.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$10.6K $10.6K

-37.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$45.00 $45.00

22.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$55.5 $55.5

-30.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$91.4 $91.4

-5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$107 $107

-27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$1,835 $1,835

87.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.71

132.57%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Isabela: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $60.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $339 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $1,976 in Isabela 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.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $465 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isabela – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,317 in Isabela versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isabela delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,317 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isabela hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Isabela 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 Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.