Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lhasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lhasa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $692 in Lhasa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,118 in Lhasa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,544 in Lhasa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 103% more expensive than Lhasa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Lhasa is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.40 ¥22.99

5.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$27.31 ¥185

19.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$6.78 ¥45.82

-28.32%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.02 ¥20.43

-8.94%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.44 ¥2.98

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.33 ¥2.25

112.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.27 ¥8.58

129.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$1.76 ¥11.92

115.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$2.06 ¥13.96

-16.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.68 ¥11.39

47.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.76 ¥5.12

57.89%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.47 ¥16.69

-1.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$6.66 ¥45.05

115.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.77 ¥18.70

55.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$10.23 ¥69.2

19.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.12 ¥14.34

73.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.69 ¥11.42

-8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.38 ¥9.31

102.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.84 ¥5.67

177.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.69 ¥4.67

185.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.91 ¥6.16

153.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.60 ¥4.08

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.79 ¥5.36

-7.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.10 ¥20.98

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$10.94 ¥74.0

108.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.74 ¥5.03

279.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.61 ¥10.87

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.27 ¥1.82

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$16.61 ¥112

-51.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.42 ¥9.57

-68.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.28 ¥1.91

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.79 ¥45.92

-8.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.30 ¥8.80

-34.62%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.3K ¥130.2K

34.87%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$16.5K ¥111.4K

92.19%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$45.22 ¥306

78.57%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$9.75 ¥66.0

-58.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$15.17 ¥103

60.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$42.28 ¥286

131.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$13.87 ¥93.8

-53.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$7.43 ¥50.3

-45.63%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$335 ¥2,268

-9.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$16.8K ¥113.5K

-60.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$30.42 ¥206

78.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$30.00 ¥203

29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$68.2 ¥461

26.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$44.37 ¥300

72.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$281 ¥1,898

251.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$185 ¥1,252

255.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$600 ¥4,059

461.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$355 ¥2,399

482.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$3,216 ¥21.7K

-14.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,795 ¥12.1K

24.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$2,092 ¥14.1K

-92.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Lhasa: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $281 in Lhasa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lhasa pays 1180% 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 $27.00 in Lhasa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $190 per month, with Lhasa 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 Lhasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Lhasa differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($1,404 vs $692 including rent). Lhasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lhasa earns 1180% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $281 in Lhasa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lhasa – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $692 in Lhasa versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lhasa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lhasa 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 Lhasa 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 Lhasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.