Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lake Charles, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Lake Charles, LA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,261
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Lake Charles, LA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Lake Charles, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Lake Charles, LA $2,261

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,218 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Lake Charles, LA $3,218

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,174 in Lake Charles, LA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Lake Charles, LA $4,174

Ubud, Bali is about 40% cheaper than Lake Charles, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Lake Charles, LA sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 0%, Lake Charles, LA by 67%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$26.37 $26.37
-87.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$70.0 $70.0
-50.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$10.80 $10.80
-47.22%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$5.32 $5.32
-50.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$2.01 $2.01
-14.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$1.22 $1.22
-33.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$5.14 $5.14
-48.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$5.98 $5.98
-26.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.40 $1.40
12.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$4.13 $4.13
-46.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$6.07 $6.07
-80.56%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$5.48 $5.48
-60.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$15.31 $15.31
15.28%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$10.03 $10.03
-62.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$15.57 $15.57
-23.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$4.37 $4.37
-17.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.32 $1.32
20.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$2.00 $2.00
15.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$5.68 $5.68
-66.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$4.41 $4.41
-59.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$2.21 $2.21
5.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$2.26 $2.26
-55.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$2.57 $2.57
-79.38%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$8.31 $8.31
-72.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$16.90 $16.90
30.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$2.54 $2.54
-7.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$3.91 $3.91
-23.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$3.45 $3.45
-86.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$1.52 $1.52
-71.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$34.96 $34.96
-84.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$0.86 $0.86
-3.49%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$33.2K $33.2K
-28.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$26.8K $26.8K
22.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$263 $263
-69.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$71.4 $71.4
-90.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$57.0 $57.0
-67.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$32.38 $32.38
67.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$13.86 $13.86
31.89%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$11.89 $11.89
-64.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$1,542 $1,542
-68.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$10.3K $10.3K
-45.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$25.43 $25.43
79.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$43.92 $43.92
-20.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$59.5 $59.5
30.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$119 $119
-34.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$1,009 $1,009
12.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$911 $911
-26.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$1,555 $1,555
132.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$1,271 $1,271
33.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$1,370 $1,370
98.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,395 $1,395
60.70%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Lake Charles, LA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$3,514 $3,514
-95.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.66
106.91%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lake Charles, LA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Lake Charles, LA
$911 35.4% $238
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Lake Charles, LA
$422 47.1% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Lake Charles, LA
$112 4.8% $5.2
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Lake Charles, LA
$358 236% $251
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Lake Charles, LA
$391 272% $286
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Lake Charles, LA
$56 10.3% $6.5
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Lake Charles, LA
$11 * 11.1% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,009 in Lake Charles, LA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2012% higher in Lake Charles, LA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $70.0 in Lake Charles, LA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $422 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Lake Charles, LA
🕒 Local time
23:41 11:41 PM
10:41 10:41 AM
13 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
84,872
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Lake Charles, LA 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Lake Charles, LA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Charles, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Lake Charles, LA?
Lake Charles, LA costs about 67% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Lake Charles, LA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,392 in Lake Charles, LA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Lake Charles, LA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Lake Charles, LA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA. That's a gap of about 67%.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Lake Charles, LA?
Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,542 in Lake Charles, LA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Lake Charles, LA?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Lake Charles, LA at $2,261. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lake Charles, LA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Lake Charles, LA?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,353 versus $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Lake Charles, LA?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Ubud, Bali or to Lake Charles, LA?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lake Charles, LA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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