Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lerwick

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,368 in Lerwick, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Lerwick
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,368
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Lerwick

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,368 in Lerwick.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Lerwick $2,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,415 in Lerwick.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Lerwick $3,415

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,462 in Lerwick.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Lerwick $4,462

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 43% less than in Lerwick, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Lerwick 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$20.15 £15.11
-83.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$98.5 £73.9
-64.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$10.35 £7.76
-44.93%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$5.40 £4.05
-51.48%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$2.25 £1.69
-23.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$1.64 £1.23
-50.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$6.45 £4.84
-58.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$5.86 £4.40
-25.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.55 £1.16
1.29%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$1.69 £1.27
29.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$2.21 £1.66
-46.61%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$4.02 £3.02
-46.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$9.37 £7.03
88.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$8.57 £6.43
-55.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$14.44 £10.84
-17.24%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$3.03 £2.27
18.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.51 £1.13
5.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$2.76 £2.07
-16.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$3.28 £2.46
-41.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$1.83 £1.37
-2.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$1.71 £1.28
36.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$1.26 £0.95
-20.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$1.55 £1.16
-65.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$24.02 £18.02
-90.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$10.48 £7.86
110.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$3.00 £2.25
-21.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$3.27 £2.46
-8.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$3.07 £2.30
-92.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$83.1 £62.3
-89.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$4.23 £3.18
-88.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$2.35 £1.76
-81.70%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$24.03 £18.03
-77.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$2.34 £1.75
-64.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$38.9K £29.2K
-38.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$34.5K £25.9K
-4.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$309 £232
-74.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$19.33 £14.50
-66.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$45.26 £33.95
-58.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$52.8 £39.61
2.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$13.32 £9.99
-68.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$1,392 £1,045
-64.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$24.5K £18.4K
-77.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$88.7 £66.5
-48.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$50.6 £37.93
-30.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$89.1 £66.8
-12.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$110 £82.8
-28.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$1,112 £834
1.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$1,036 £777
-35.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$2,395 £1,797
50.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$1,523 £1,143
11.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$4,646 £3,486
-41.51%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$3,438 £2,579
-34.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Lerwick
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.09
170.73%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lerwick: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Lerwick
$1K 53.9% $363
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Lerwick
$298 3.9% $11
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Lerwick
$152 43% $46
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Lerwick
$317 198% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Lerwick
$374 256% $269
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Lerwick
$79 26.9% $17
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Lerwick
$111 796% $99

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $1,112 in Lerwick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $99.0 in Lerwick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $298 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇬🇧 Lerwick
🕒 Local time
01:10 1:10 AM
18:10 6:10 PM
7 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
7,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, 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).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Lerwick 12,270 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Lerwick

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 Lerwick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lerwick cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,030 in Ubud, Bali and $3,552 in Lerwick 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.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Lerwick?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,112 in Lerwick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Lerwick?
All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,368 in Lerwick – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 833% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Lerwick?
At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,368 in Lerwick, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ubud, Bali or Lerwick more family-friendly?
For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lerwick, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Lerwick?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Lerwick are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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