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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $824 in Macaé.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,343 in Macaé.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,862 in Macaé.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than in Macaé, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Macaé is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.70 R$29.02

-39.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$33.80 R$172

-4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.42 R$32.67

-24.61%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.92 R$9.78

43.23%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.28 R$6.53

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.82 R$4.19

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.78 R$9.06

67.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.19 R$11.16

75.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.06 R$5.39

64.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.59 R$8.11

54.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.28 R$6.53

-8.59%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.94 R$9.89

25.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$8.08 R$41.14

79.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.55 R$18.07

22.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.37 R$32.45

88.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.30 R$11.71

61.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.27 R$6.47

28.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.18 R$6.03

132.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.39 R$7.07

61.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.09 R$5.56

76.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.16 R$5.93

96.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.67 R$3.41

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.47 R$2.39

53.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.01 R$10.21

63.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.81 R$29.56

299.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.92 R$4.67

202.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.14 R$5.81

139.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.75 R$3.83

-64.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$73.8 R$376

-89.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.13 R$5.76

-57.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.71 R$3.60

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$7.49 R$38.11

-16.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.07 R$5.43

-24.30%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$17.8K R$90.5K

49.71%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$27.0K R$137.7K

19.05%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$58.4 R$297

34.28%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$10.03 R$51.1

-59.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$18.88 R$96.1

28.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$38.50 R$196

156.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$26.80 R$136

-76.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.17 R$31.41

-35.33%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$541 R$2,753

-43.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$6,587 R$33.5K

0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$44.81 R$228

20.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$29.33 R$149

28.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$71.6 R$364

21.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$60.8 R$310

25.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$357 R$1,816

178.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$234 R$1,193

187.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$661 R$3,366

410.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$508 R$2,587

303.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,231 R$6,267

127.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$762 R$3,877

192.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$761 R$3,875

-78.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.25

18.04%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Macaé: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $357 in Macaé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Macaé pays 356% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Macaé. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $164, with Macaé cheaper for home cooking.

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 Macaé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Macaé differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $824 including rent). Macaé is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 356% lower in Macaé. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $357 in Macaé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Macaé – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $824 in Macaé – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $824 in Macaé versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Macaé but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Macaé 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 Macaé 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 Macaé gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.