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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $368 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $573 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $777 in Kota.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 285% more expensive than Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kota is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$2.29 ₹219

55.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$8.59 ₹822

281.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$2.84 ₹272

74.30%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$0.70 ₹67.4

287.14%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.40 ₹38.10

235.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.18 ₹17.06

288.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.71 ₹164

70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.27 ₹313

21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.62 ₹59.3

191.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.43 ₹41.36

486.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.76 ₹72.4

52.63%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.94 ₹90.3

161.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$4.91 ₹470

199.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.72 ₹260

58.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.76 ₹169

118.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$0.53 ₹50.4

194.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$0.79 ₹75.5

258.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.45 ₹42.92

417.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.31 ₹29.39

516.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.46 ₹43.95

378.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.36 ₹34.55

180.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.34 ₹32.52

129.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.92 ₹376

-15.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$7.65 ₹732

210.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.73 ₹165

61.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.58 ₹343

-20.11%

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

$4.26 ₹408

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.59 ₹56.8

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$8.82 ₹844

-8.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.34 ₹32.26

35.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.24 ₹22.98

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$1.41 ₹135

332.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.25 ₹120

-36.80%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$11.6K ₹1.1M

125.36%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$16.9K ₹1.6M

89.91%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$30.83 ₹2,950

159.29%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$2.88 ₹276

40.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$7.24 ₹693

224.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$10.60 ₹1,015

831.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$2.37 ₹226

179.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.45 ₹330

20.29%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$37.11 ₹3,551

719.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$723 ₹69.2K

814.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$21.00 ₹2,010

164.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$27.33 ₹2,615

40.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$50.5 ₹4,831

75.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$25.62 ₹2,452

203.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$158 ₹15.1K

535.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$88.6 ₹8,479

662.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$304 ₹29.1K

1031.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$187 ₹17.9K

992.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$569 ₹54.5K

399.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$333 ₹31.9K

579.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$420 ₹40.2K

-60.63%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kota: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $158 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota pays 154% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 285% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $368 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kota earns 154% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $158 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 198% 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 $9.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $368 in Kota versus $1,419 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 285% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.