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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Kota.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $536 in Kota.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $738 in Kota.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 309% more expensive than in Kota, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Kota is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$2.14 ₹205

60.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$7.99 ₹767

354.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$2.68 ₹257

113.06%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$0.65 ₹62.0

310.77%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.35 ₹34.04

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.17 ₹16.70

411.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.56 ₹149

89.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.20 ₹307

41.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.59 ₹56.6

174.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.41 ₹38.98

468.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.64 ₹61.3

73.44%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.82 ₹79.1

168.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$4.31 ₹414

310.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.67 ₹256

53.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.52 ₹146

144.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.51 ₹49.25

211.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$0.67 ₹64.7

240.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.44 ₹41.81

343.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.31 ₹30.11

516.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.40 ₹38.65

482.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.32 ₹31.14

215.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.28 ₹26.46

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.24 ₹406

-47.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$7.68 ₹737

200.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.49 ₹143

62.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.93 ₹185

55.44%

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

$4.74 ₹455

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.54 ₹51.7

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$25.99 ₹2,493

-65.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.30 ₹28.63

60.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.22 ₹21.15

95.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$1.02 ₹98.2

452.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ₹105

-27.27%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

59.24%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$17.2K ₹1.7M

83.85%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$13.16 ₹1,262

519.00%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$2.49 ₹239

160.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$6.27 ₹602

199.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$10.34 ₹992

450.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$4.11 ₹394

355.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$3.05 ₹292

48.85%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$33.94 ₹3,256

1316.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$648 ₹62.1K

781.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$22.08 ₹2,119

106.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$32.79 ₹3,146

9.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$34.83 ₹3,341

130.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$21.02 ₹2,017

274.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$143 ₹13.7K

679.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$79.0 ₹7,578

783.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$269 ₹25.9K

1249.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$171 ₹16.4K

917.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$556 ₹53.3K

400.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$333 ₹31.9K

588.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$417 ₹40.0K

-59.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.5

83.73%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kota: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $143 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $8.00 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $91.0 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 309% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $335 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 148% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $143 in Kota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 225% 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 $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $335 in Kota versus $1,368 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 309% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.