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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,098 in Lake Balaton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,667 in Lake Balaton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,236 in Lake Balaton.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than Lake Balaton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Lake Balaton is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$8.86 Ft 2,757

-61.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$46.28 Ft 14.4K

-28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$8.77 Ft 2,728

-42.08%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$2.08 Ft 647

35.58%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$1.35 Ft 420

1.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.93 Ft 288

-23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$1.90 Ft 592

56.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$2.10 Ft 653

86.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.10 Ft 342

59.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$1.50 Ft 465

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.91 Ft 593

-36.65%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$2.61 Ft 812

-10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$9.34 Ft 2,907

55.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$5.78 Ft 1,798

-24.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$12.02 Ft 3,739

0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$1.72 Ft 534

122.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.93 Ft 599

-16.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.99 Ft 620

35.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$2.97 Ft 923

-24.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.11 Ft 345

71.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$1.18 Ft 366

84.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$1.50 Ft 465

-31.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.55 Ft 172

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$6.92 Ft 2,154

-54.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$5.96 Ft 1,856

289.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.03 Ft 319

176.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$1.48 Ft 460

83.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$1.18 Ft 368

-75.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$24.64 Ft 7,667

-65.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$2.82 Ft 879

-82.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$1.17 Ft 364

-61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$17.50 Ft 5,444

-64.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.76 Ft 547

-51.70%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$25.8K Ft 8.0M

1.08%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$31.5K Ft 9.8M

0.16%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$141 Ft 43.9K

-43.45%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$26.29 Ft 8,180

-84.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$19.50 Ft 6,068

23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$46.80 Ft 14.6K

105.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

$16.51 Ft 5,135

-60.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$7.57 Ft 2,355

-45.44%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$292 Ft 90.7K

1.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$6,417 Ft 2.0M

3.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$71.6 Ft 22.3K

-23.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$27.69 Ft 8,615

39.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$72.1 Ft 22.4K

24.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$78.3 Ft 24.4K

0.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$444 Ft 138.0K

129.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$342 Ft 106.2K

93.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$645 Ft 200.5K

433.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$535 Ft 166.6K

283.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$2,946 Ft 916.6K

1.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$2,305 Ft 717.1K

2.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lake Balaton: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $444 in Lake Balaton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $46 in Lake Balaton. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,647 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $444 in Lake Balaton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $292 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 $1,098 in Lake Balaton versus $1,408 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 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.