Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lancaster, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,698 in Lancaster, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Lancaster, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Lancaster, CA

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 Lancaster, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,698 in Lancaster, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Lancaster, CA $2,698

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,033 in Lancaster, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Lancaster, CA $4,033

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,368 in Lancaster, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Lancaster, CA $5,368

Ubud, Bali is about 49% cheaper than Lancaster, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Lancaster, CA sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Lancaster, CA by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$16.35 $16.35
-79.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$49.00 $49.00
-28.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$9.98 $9.98
-41.88%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$5.42 $5.42
-49.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$2.55 $2.55
-35.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.53 $1.53
-45.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$5.08 $5.08
-46.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$5.74 $5.74
-25.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.33 $1.33
12.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$3.83 $3.83
-39.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$2.24 $2.24
-47.32%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.63 $2.63
-18.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$10.19 $10.19
71.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$12.98 $12.98
-68.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$12.57 $12.57
-2.70%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$3.85 $3.85
-7.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.46 $1.46
7.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$2.18 $2.18
2.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$4.97 $4.97
-61.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$4.50 $4.50
-58.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$1.50 $1.50
52.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.08 $2.08
-52.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$2.31 $2.31
-77.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$11.92 $11.92
-80.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$12.08 $12.08
90.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.58 $1.58
48.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$1.96 $1.96
48.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$1.52 $1.52
-84.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$50.5 $50.5
-82.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$3.55 $3.55
-86.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.89 $1.89
-75.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$24.15 $24.15
-77.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.37 $1.37
-35.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$33.9K $33.9K
-27.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$25.4K $25.4K
22.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$251 $251
-66.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$42.47 $42.47
-84.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$64.5 $64.5
-71.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$39.31 $39.31
42.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$7.05 $7.05
156.88%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$12.03 $12.03
-63.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$545 $545
-9.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$8,388 $8,388
-31.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$31.20 $31.20
48.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$33.98 $33.98
3.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$72.6 $72.6
8.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$141 $141
-44.46%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$2,328 $2,328
-50.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$1,448 $1,448
-53.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$2,820 $2,820
24.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$2,798 $2,798
-39.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$3,148 $3,148
-11.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Lancaster, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$3,794 $3,794
-95.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.45
113.64%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lancaster, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Lancaster, CA
$1.4K 114% $773
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Lancaster, CA
$354 22% $64
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Lancaster, CA
$279 156% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Lancaster, CA
$357 231% $249
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Lancaster, CA
$126 16.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Lancaster, CA
$63 1.9% $1.2
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Lancaster, CA
$70 455% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,328 in Lancaster, CA. 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 2206% higher in Lancaster, CA, 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 $49.00 in Lancaster, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $354 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Lancaster, CA
🕒 Local time
12:53 12:53 PM
21:53 9:53 PM
15 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
59,322
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Lancaster, CA 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Lancaster, CA

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 Lancaster, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Lancaster, CA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, $2,698 in Lancaster, CA – roughly 97% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Lancaster, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,047 in Lancaster, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Lancaster, CA?
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.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 22% more in Lancaster, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $49.00 in Lancaster, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Lancaster, CA at $2,698. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lancaster, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Lancaster, CA?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,368 in Ubud, Bali to $2,698 in Lancaster, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ubud, Bali or Lancaster, CA safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Lancaster, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lancaster, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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