Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Luang Prabang

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,393 in Luang Prabang, rent and utilities included – about $530 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Luang Prabang outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Luang Prabang

🇱🇦 Laos

$1,393

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Luang Prabang

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,393 in Luang Prabang.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Luang Prabang $1,393

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,121 in Luang Prabang.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Luang Prabang $2,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,849 in Luang Prabang.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Luang Prabang $2,849

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 3% less than in Luang Prabang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$1.77 LAK 39.7K

87.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

$16.60 LAK 371.9K

114.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

$5.29 LAK 118.6K

4.54%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$1.49 LAK 33.5K

82.55%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$0.82 LAK 18.5K

107.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.52 LAK 11.7K

46.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$1.25 LAK 27.9K

112.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

287.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.63 LAK 36.6K

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

$24.14 LAK 541.0K

-26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

$1.33 LAK 29.9K

175.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.06 LAK 23.7K

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,303

$0.71 LAK 15.9K

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.19 LAK 26.7K

89.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$0.66 LAK 14.8K

350.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,548

$0.59 LAK 13.3K

-57.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

$57.4 LAK 1.3M

-86.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,964

$0.86 LAK 19.2K

-48.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,793

$1.13 LAK 25.4K

-61.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

$4.53 LAK 101.4K

19.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$1.18 LAK 26.4K

-30.51%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

$27.5K LAK 616.6M

-13.36%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

$28.1K LAK 629.9M

12.93%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$80.6 LAK 1.8M

-1.96%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

$5.36 LAK 120.1K

20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

$6.71 LAK 150.4K

176.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

$82.6 LAK 1.9M

-40.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

$7.33 LAK 164.2K

140.79%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

$2.46 LAK 55.0K

73.58%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$249 LAK 5.6M

96.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

$8,778 LAK 196.7M

-35.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

$68.6 LAK 1.5M

-34.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

$59.0 LAK 1.3M

-40.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.0 LAK 1.6M

11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$50.1 LAK 1.1M

58.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,107 LAK 24.8M

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$857 LAK 19.2M

-21.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

$1,920 LAK 43.0M

85.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

$1,725 LAK 38.7M

-0.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$2,539 LAK 56.9M

7.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$168 LAK 3.8M

1262.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$199 LAK 4.5M

-17.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.12

36.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Luang Prabang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Luang Prabang

–

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Luang Prabang

–

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Luang Prabang

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Luang Prabang

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Luang Prabang

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Luang Prabang

–

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Luang Prabang

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,107 in Luang Prabang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luang Prabang pays 21% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $17 in Luang Prabang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $115 per month, with Luang Prabang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇱🇦 Luang Prabang

🕒 Local time

10:08 10:08 AM

09:08 9:08 AM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

53,792

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Lao Kip LAK ₭

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD

100,000 LAK = 4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LAK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Lao Kip exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 22,407 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4.46 USD). 1 EUR = 25,019 LAK (100,000 LAK = 4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Luang Prabang 3,470 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Luang Prabang

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 Luang Prabang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Luang Prabang. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,107 in Luang Prabang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 86% less than in Luang Prabang. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $249 in Luang Prabang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Luang Prabang are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Luang Prabang on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.