Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Karawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Karawang: $460 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Karawang, Indonesia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Karawang
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$460
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $460 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Karawang $460

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $831 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Karawang $831

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,201 in Karawang, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Karawang $1,201

Ubud, Bali costs about 193% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$1.42 Rp 25.8K
133.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$11.11 Rp 201.9K
220.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$3.28 Rp 59.7K
68.60%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
80.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.40 Rp 7,181
325.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.20 Rp 3,669
280.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$3.02 Rp 54.9K
-12.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$3.01 Rp 54.8K
45.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
34.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$0.96 Rp 17.4K
137.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.84 Rp 15.3K
41.67%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
39.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$2.77 Rp 50.4K
538.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$2.78 Rp 50.6K
42.45%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$7.58 Rp 137.8K
60.82%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$1.74 Rp 31.7K
110.34%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.07 Rp 19.4K
42.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$1.25 Rp 22.8K
78.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$0.52 Rp 9,377
278.85%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$0.95 Rp 17.3K
94.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$1.51 Rp 27.4K
60.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.69 Rp 12.5K
43.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$0.43 Rp 7,805
18.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-16.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
$22.41 Rp 407.3K
-0.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.89 Rp 34.4K
19.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$3.30 Rp 60.0K
-10.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$0.23 Rp 4,228
8.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$12.78 Rp 232.3K
-38.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$0.82 Rp 14.8K
-46.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$0.50 Rp 9,112
-14.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$1.08 Rp 19.7K
400.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.83 Rp 15.1K
-1.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$20.6K Rp 374.3M
15.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$31.5K Rp 573.2M
0.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$33.79 Rp 614.2K
133.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$4.18 Rp 76.0K
54.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
52.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$20.18 Rp 366.8K
145.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
$8.35 Rp 151.8K
111.38%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$2.81 Rp 51.1K
51.96%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$43.03 Rp 782.1K
1040.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$8,064 Rp 146.6M
-29.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$16.57 Rp 301.1K
169.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$27.83 Rp 505.8K
25.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$48.92 Rp 889.1K
63.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$48.34 Rp 878.5K
64.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$136 Rp 2.5M
729.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$68.8 Rp 1.2M
876.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$552 Rp 10.0M
545.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$370 Rp 6.7M
366.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$1,135 Rp 20.6M
140.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$794 Rp 14.4M
187.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Karawang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$404 Rp 7.3M
-59.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.38
21.09%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karawang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Karawang
$69 89.8% $603
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Karawang
$172 40.3% $116
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Karawang
$63 41.7% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Karawang
$64 40.7% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Karawang
$50 51.8% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Karawang
$26 55.5% $32
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Karawang
$17 49.1% $5.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $136 in Karawang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karawang are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $11 in Karawang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $172 – making Karawang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Karawang
🕒 Local time
00:00 12:00 AM
23:00 11:00 PM
1 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
273,472
💱 Currency
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 = 20,228 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Karawang 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Karawang

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 Karawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Karawang?
Ubud, Bali costs about 193% more than Karawang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Karawang?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $691 in Karawang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Karawang?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karawang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Karawang?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $11 in Karawang. 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 Karawang?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $460 in Karawang. That’s a gap of about 193%.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Karawang?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Karawang, where all-in costs run around $460, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Karawang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Karawang – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Karawang?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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