Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lapu-Lapu Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lapu-Lapu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $871 in Lapu-Lapu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,325 in Lapu-Lapu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,779 in Lapu-Lapu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than Lapu-Lapu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Lapu-Lapu is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$4.39 ₱271

-18.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$17.85 ₱1,100

83.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$4.40 ₱271

12.50%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.60 ₱160

4.23%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.80 ₱49.56

67.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.45 ₱27.90

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.51 ₱93.3

93.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.11 ₱130

87.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.65 ₱102

9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.44 ₱88.6

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.07 ₱66.0

8.41%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.30 ₱142

6.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$12.15 ₱749

21.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$5.29 ₱326

-18.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$7.60 ₱469

59.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$3.24 ₱200

18.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.38 ₱85.2

13.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.43 ₱150

16.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.19 ₱135

6.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.25 ₱139

-15.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.85 ₱114

18.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.91 ₱56.4

10.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.83 ₱51.5

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$1.79 ₱110

85.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$3.42 ₱211

594.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.03 ₱63.6

170.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.27 ₱140

25.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.28 ₱17.27

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.83 ₱51.1

-44.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.23 ₱14.17

95.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.59 ₱160

135.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ₱68.1

-28.18%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$24.6K ₱1.5M

6.24%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$32.6K ₱2.0M

-1.33%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$98.3 ₱6,059

-18.64%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$26.52 ₱1,636

-84.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$29.66 ₱1,829

-20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$43.48 ₱2,681

127.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$1.81 ₱112

266.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$5.83 ₱359

-28.82%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$125 ₱7,727

142.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,743 ₱107.5K

279.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$46.92 ₱2,893

18.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$23.05 ₱1,421

66.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$76.7 ₱4,729

15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$56.2 ₱3,467

38.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$337 ₱20.8K

198.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$243 ₱15.0K

177.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$842 ₱51.9K

308.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$504 ₱31.1K

304.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$216 ₱13.3K

-23.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

66.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lapu-Lapu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $337 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lapu-Lapu pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Lapu-Lapu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $216 per month, with Lapu-Lapu cheaper across the board.

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 Lapu-Lapu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Lapu-Lapu differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $871 including rent). Lapu-Lapu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lapu-Lapu earns 31% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $337 in Lapu-Lapu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $125 in Lapu-Lapu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lapu-Lapu – a meal for two runs $18.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $871 in Lapu-Lapu versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lapu-Lapu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lapu-Lapu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Lapu-Lapu 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 Lapu-Lapu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.