Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Johnson City, TN, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Johnson City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,138
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Johnson City, TN $4,129

Ubud, Bali is about 37% cheaper than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$13.78 $13.78
-75.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 648.1K
$53.9 $53.9
-33.93%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$9.88 $9.88
-44.03%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$5.14 $5.14
-47.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.88 $2.88
-40.97%
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 48.3K
$4.93 $4.93
-46.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.7K
$6.04 $6.04
-27.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$0.98 $0.98
52.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$3.75 $3.75
-39.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$3.97 $3.97
-70.03%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$3.11 $3.11
-34.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.9K
$7.53 $7.53
135.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.1K
$13.67 $13.67
-71.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.7K
$13.09 $13.09
-6.88%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.5K
$7.59 $7.59
-51.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.73 $1.73
-12.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.10 $4.10
-45.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$3.65 $3.65
-46.03%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.40 $3.40
-45.59%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$4.34 $4.34
-44.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.20 $2.20
-55.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,336
$2.36 $2.36
-78.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$9.01 $9.01
-75.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.4K
$13.14 $13.14
69.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.61 $1.61
40.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$4.42 $4.42
-32.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,564
$0.97 $0.97
-74.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.3K
$25.13 $25.13
-68.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,992
$5.58 $5.58
-92.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,821
$1.44 $1.44
-70.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.4K
$15.19 $15.19
-64.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.83 $0.83
-1.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.5M
$30.0K $30.0K
-20.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.3M
$24.7K $24.7K
28.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$172 $172
-54.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$51.9 $51.9
-87.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.8K
$62.5 $62.5
-70.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.8K
$47.20 $47.20
4.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.9K
$20.14 $20.14
-12.36%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$11.88 $11.88
-64.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$1,185 $1,185
-58.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.2M
$14.6K $14.6K
-61.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.7K
$37.41 $37.41
19.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.6K
$30.80 $30.80
13.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$87.4 $87.4
-8.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$94.4 $94.4
-15.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.5M
$1,178 $1,178
-4.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$980 $980
-31.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$1,992 $1,992
78.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$1,616 $1,616
6.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.7M
$2,444 $2,444
11.77%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$2,033 $2,033
12.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Johnson City, TN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$3,584 $3,584
-95.43%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.49
112.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Johnson City, TN
$980 46% $309
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Johnson City, TN
$388 34.5% $99
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Johnson City, TN
$258 140% $150
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Johnson City, TN
$113 4.7% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Johnson City, TN
$287 175% $182
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Johnson City, TN
$71 22.3% $13
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Johnson City, TN
$42 266% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Johnson City, TN are about 22 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $388 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN
🕒 Local time
09:26 9:26 AM
21:26 9:26 PM
12 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
66,027
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Johnson City, TN 16,450 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Johnson City, TN

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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Johnson City, TN?
Yes – Johnson City, TN is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,207 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Johnson City, TN?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,178 in Johnson City, TN. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Johnson City, TN?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Johnson City, TN?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. That makes Ubud, Bali about 37% cheaper.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Ubud, Bali or in Johnson City, TN?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Ubud, Bali or Johnson City, TN more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Johnson City, TN?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johnson City, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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