Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Karakol

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $438 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$438

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Karakol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $438 in Karakol.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Karakol $438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $649 in Karakol.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Karakol $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $859 in Karakol.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Karakol $859

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 209% more expensive than in Karakol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Karakol is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$2.24 KGS 196

44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$9.34 KGS 817

273.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.74 KGS 152

50.57%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.58 KGS 50.9

196.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.28 KGS 24.12

189.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.17 KGS 102

126.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$1.67 KGS 146

161.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.76 KGS 66.3

106.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$0.24 KGS 21.06

812.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.40 KGS 123

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.67 KGS 146

29.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$6.82 KGS 597

158.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.12 KGS 360

-8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$5.58 KGS 488

114.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$0.81 KGS 71.2

344.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.39 KGS 121

14.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.12 KGS 97.7

70.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.54 KGS 47.59

229.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.35 KGS 30.90

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.58 KGS 51.0

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.75 KGS 153

30.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$5.28 KGS 462

317.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.11 KGS 97.0

111.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.23 KGS 195

33.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.18 KGS 15.65

27.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.30 KGS 114

-63.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.04 KGS 91.1

-20.19%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$39.47 KGS 3,453

102.66%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$4.24 KGS 371

54.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$9.56 KGS 836

94.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$15.34 KGS 1,342

252.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$91.0 KGS 7,958

441.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$33.69 KGS 2,947

133.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$228 KGS 19.9K

396.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$172 KGS 15.0K

291.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$283 KGS 24.8K

1174.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$291 KGS 25.4K

485.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karakol: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Karakol

–

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Karakol

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Karakol

–

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Karakol

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Karakol

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Karakol

–

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Karakol

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $228 in Karakol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Karakol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $129 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇬 Karakol

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

00:01 12:01 AM

2 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

63,400

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Karakol 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Karakol

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 Karakol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Karakol differ by about 209% in total monthly costs ($1,353 vs $438 including rent). Karakol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,030 in Ubud, Bali and $657 in Karakol 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $228 in Karakol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $438 in Karakol – a 209% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $438 in Karakol versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karakol but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Karakol the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Karakol 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 Karakol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 209% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.