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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,108 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,693 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,278 in Lake Balaton.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Lake Balaton is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$8.45 Ft 2,680

-59.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$46.31 Ft 14.7K

-30.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$8.72 Ft 2,765

-42.09%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$2.09 Ft 664

29.67%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.35 Ft 428

2.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.92 Ft 291

-19.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$1.85 Ft 586

56.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.12 Ft 671

78.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.11 Ft 351

61.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.51 Ft 478

66.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.91 Ft 607

-36.65%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$2.65 Ft 840

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$9.32 Ft 2,955

54.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$5.94 Ft 1,885

-30.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$11.60 Ft 3,679

4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$1.79 Ft 568

110.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.00 Ft 633

-18.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$2.00 Ft 634

35.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$2.83 Ft 896

-20.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.07 Ft 339

80.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.18 Ft 373

85.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.44 Ft 456

-29.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.57 Ft 180

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$6.67 Ft 2,114

-52.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$5.97 Ft 1,893

299.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$1.08 Ft 342

156.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.43 Ft 453

92.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

$1.14 Ft 360

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

$24.69 Ft 7,827

-66.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$2.79 Ft 883

-82.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$1.12 Ft 355

-62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$17.07 Ft 5,414

-64.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.69 Ft 535

-51.48%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$26.0K Ft 8.2M

2.35%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$30.7K Ft 9.7M

4.86%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$144 Ft 45.6K

-45.54%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$26.78 Ft 8,492

-85.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$19.36 Ft 6,139

23.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$46.44 Ft 14.7K

107.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

$16.86 Ft 5,345

-61.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$7.26 Ft 2,302

-44.77%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$289 Ft 91.7K

4.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$6,600 Ft 2.1M

-0.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$71.3 Ft 22.6K

-22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$27.71 Ft 8,788

38.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$70.6 Ft 22.4K

25.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.9 Ft 25.0K

-2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$441 Ft 139.7K

123.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$351 Ft 111.2K

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

$628 Ft 199.1K

444.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

$530 Ft 168.0K

291.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$2,959 Ft 938.4K

-6.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$2,322 Ft 736.1K

-3.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $441 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Lake Balaton. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $218, 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 $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $1,662 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 $441 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $289 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 $1,108 in Lake Balaton versus $1,397 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.