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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $367 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $580 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $792 in Kota.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 284% more expensive than in Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kota is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$2.39 ₹230

44.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$8.48 ₹816

281.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$2.83 ₹272

71.02%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$0.71 ₹68.5

287.32%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.39 ₹37.87

253.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.16 ₹15.69

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.79 ₹172

67.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$3.15 ₹303

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.62 ₹59.6

180.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.43 ₹41.56

472.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.74 ₹71.7

58.11%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$0.91 ₹87.3

167.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$4.79 ₹462

202.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.74 ₹264

58.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.72 ₹166

116.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.52 ₹50.1

213.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.80 ₹76.6

242.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$0.49 ₹47.08

357.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.31 ₹29.59

519.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.43 ₹41.28

430.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.36 ₹34.77

194.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.37 ₹35.31

94.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$4.06 ₹391

-18.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$7.75 ₹747

199.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.66 ₹160

67.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$3.68 ₹354

-25.82%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.20 ₹405

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.55 ₹53.4

-50.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$8.50 ₹818

-4.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.34 ₹32.58

41.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.22 ₹21.04

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$1.41 ₹136

341.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.26 ₹121

-35.71%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$11.6K ₹1.1M

128.98%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$16.6K ₹1.6M

93.58%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$30.59 ₹2,945

156.13%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$2.81 ₹271

44.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$7.21 ₹694

237.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$10.64 ₹1,024

826.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$2.38 ₹229

166.39%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$3.55 ₹342

12.39%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$37.70 ₹3,629

709.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$728 ₹70.1K

812.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$21.48 ₹2,068

152.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$27.23 ₹2,621

38.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$50.8 ₹4,888

71.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$25.07 ₹2,413

204.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$161 ₹15.5K

514.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$87.2 ₹8,394

671.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$312 ₹30.0K

982.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$190 ₹18.3K

979.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$561 ₹54.0K

400.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$344 ₹33.1K

548.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$421 ₹40.6K

-60.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.5

77.07%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kota: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $161 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $101 per month, with Kota 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 Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Kota differ by about 284% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $367 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 152% lower in Kota. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $161 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 193% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $367 in Kota versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kota 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 Kota 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 Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 284% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.