Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $632 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Lucena, Philippines
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Lucena
🇵🇭 Philippines
$632
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $632 in Lucena, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Lucena $632

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,026 in Lucena, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Lucena $1,026

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,421 in Lucena, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Lucena $1,421

Ubud, Bali costs about 113% more than Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$1.42 ₱90.9
133.80%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 648.1K
$18.88 ₱1,208
88.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$1.60 ₱103
245.62%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$1.36 ₱86.7
100.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.30 ₱18.95
466.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.28 ₱18.06
171.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.3K
$1.37 ₱87.4
93.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.7K
$1.31 ₱83.9
234.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.61 ₱103
-7.45%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$1.10 ₱70.6
107.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.91 ₱58.2
30.77%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$1.80 ₱115
13.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.9K
$6.73 ₱431
163.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.1K
$4.18 ₱267
-5.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.7K
$6.89 ₱441
76.92%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.5K
$3.94 ₱252
-7.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.41 ₱90.1
7.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$3.52 ₱226
-36.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$1.11 ₱70.9
77.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$2.33 ₱149
-20.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$3.25 ₱208
-25.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.40 ₱89.8
-29.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,336
$0.91 ₱58.3
-43.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$2.79 ₱179
-20.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.4K
$7.37 ₱472
201.76%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.30 ₱83.3
73.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$1.81 ₱116
64.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,564
$0.22 ₱14.02
13.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.3K
$12.17 ₱779
-35.74%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,992
$0.76 ₱48.66
-42.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,821
$0.21 ₱13.41
104.76%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.4K
$2.55 ₱164
112.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.16 ₱74.0
-29.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.5M
$21.1K ₱1.4M
12.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.3M
$18.6K ₱1.2M
70.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$46.73 ₱2,990
69.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$6.27 ₱401
2.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.8K
$10.74 ₱687
73.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.8K
$33.83 ₱2,165
46.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.9K
$5.35 ₱342
229.91%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$7.17 ₱459
-40.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$70.3 ₱4,499
597.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.2M
$2,461 ₱157.5K
130.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.7K
$35.51 ₱2,272
25.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.6K
$22.17 ₱1,419
57.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$78.7 ₱5,037
1.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$74.1 ₱4,741
7.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.5M
$246 ₱15.7K
357.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$164 ₱10.5K
309.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$481 ₱30.8K
640.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$355 ₱22.7K
385.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.7M
$2,752 ₱176.1K
-0.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$1,144 ₱73.2K
99.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Lucena
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$307 ₱19.7K
-46.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
7
96.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Lucena
$164 75.6% $508
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Lucena
$202 29.8% $86
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Lucena
$44 59% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Lucena
$95 11.9% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Lucena
$64 38.8% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Lucena
$48 17% $9.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Lucena
$15 30% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $246 in Lucena. 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 87% higher in Lucena, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $19 in Lucena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $202 – making Lucena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇭 Lucena
🕒 Local time
19:57 7:57 PM
19:57 7:57 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
278,924
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,291 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 63.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.56 USD). 1 EUR = 71.41 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Lucena 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Lucena compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $632 in Lucena – Lucena comes out roughly 53% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Lucena?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $948 in Lucena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Lucena?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lucena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $246 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Lucena?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $70 in Lucena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 43% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Lucena, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Lucena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Ubud, Bali or Lucena?
Families tend to lean toward Lucena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Ubud, Bali or Lucena safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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