Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lake Balaton Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lake Balaton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,116 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,690 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,264 in Lake Balaton.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than Lake Balaton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Lake Balaton is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.7K

$8.68 Ft 2,677

-58.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 589.5K

$45.60 Ft 14.1K

-28.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 88.2K

$8.53 Ft 2,630

-43.02%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.8K

$2.08 Ft 641

32.21%

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

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

$1.40 Ft 432

-5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$0.93 Ft 287

-24.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

$1.92 Ft 593

51.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.8K

$2.11 Ft 652

79.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 31.0K

$1.05 Ft 324

62.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$1.49 Ft 459

65.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.90 Ft 585

-36.84%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

$2.63 Ft 812

-7.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 260.9K

$9.06 Ft 2,795

58.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

$6.00 Ft 1,851

-28.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 221.4K

$11.96 Ft 3,687

2.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.8K

$1.79 Ft 553

105.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$1.89 Ft 582

-17.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.5K

$2.03 Ft 627

37.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

$2.84 Ft 875

-17.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$1.10 Ft 339

79.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

$1.18 Ft 364

95.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

$1.50 Ft 462

-29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.52 Ft 159

40.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 59.5K

$6.73 Ft 2,076

-51.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 413.4K

$5.96 Ft 1,839

282.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.9K

$1.04 Ft 320

170.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

$1.46 Ft 449

90.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,281

$1.18 Ft 364

-75.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 146.2K

$25.54 Ft 7,875

-68.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,146

$2.83 Ft 872

-84.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,193

$1.17 Ft 360

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 113.1K

$17.59 Ft 5,424

-64.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.71 Ft 527

-50.29%

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

$26.0K Rp 471.2M

$26.4K Ft 8.1M

-1.55%

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

$31.7K Rp 574.1M

$31.2K Ft 9.6M

1.59%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$145 Ft 44.8K

-44.48%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.6K

$26.43 Ft 8,152

-84.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 442.9K

$19.38 Ft 5,975

26.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.8M

$47.16 Ft 14.5K

107.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$16.63 Ft 5,127

-61.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 73.3K

$7.60 Ft 2,343

-46.84%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$296 Ft 91.4K

2.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 120.1M

$6,628 Ft 2.0M

-0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 983.6K

$69.8 Ft 21.5K

-22.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 703.2K

$26.80 Ft 8,263

44.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$70.6 Ft 21.8K

21.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 Ft 24.3K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.9M

$440 Ft 135.7K

124.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.9M

$347 Ft 106.9K

89.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 61.1M

$645 Ft 198.8K

422.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.5M

$536 Ft 165.4K

285.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.7M

$2,942 Ft 907.2K

-6.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 40.4M

$2,335 Ft 720.0K

-4.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.4

79.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $440 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Lake Balaton. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $217, with Lake Balaton cheaper for home cooking.

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 Lake Balaton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Balaton is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,674 in Lake Balaton 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $440 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $296 in Lake Balaton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,116 in Lake Balaton versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lake Balaton but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lake Balaton the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lake Balaton is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Lake Balaton 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 Lake Balaton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.