Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Machala

For one person, living is cheaper in Machala: $656 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Machala
Learn more

Machala Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Machala

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$656

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $656 in Machala.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Machala $656

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,046 in Machala.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Machala $1,046

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,435 in Machala.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Machala $1,435

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 105% more expensive than in Machala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$2.81 $2.81

18.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 648.1K

$25.28 $25.28

40.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$5.21 $5.21

6.14%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$2.68 $2.68

1.49%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.86 $0.86

97.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.72 $0.72

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.3K

$2.03 $2.03

30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.7K

$3.69 $3.69

18.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$1.05 $1.05

117.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.91 $0.91

30.77%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$1.49 $1.49

36.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.9K

$3.23 $3.23

447.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.1K

$4.17 $4.17

-5.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.7K

$4.72 $4.72

158.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.5K

$1.47 $1.47

148.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$0.59 $0.59

157.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$0.77 $0.77

189.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$0.58 $0.58

239.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$0.41 $0.41

351.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$0.48 $0.48

404.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.39 $0.39

153.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,336

$0.99 $0.99

-48.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$4.37 $4.37

-49.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.4K

$7.64 $7.64

191.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$1.57 $1.57

43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$2.22 $2.22

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,564

$0.34 $0.34

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.3K

$22.09 $22.09

-64.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,992

$1.53 $1.53

-71.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,821

$1.73 $1.73

-75.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.4K

$8.11 $8.11

-33.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.61 $0.61

34.43%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.5M

$17.7K $17.7K

34.59%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.3M

$22.0K $22.0K

44.25%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$52.2 $52.2

51.48%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$14.97 $14.97

-56.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.8K

$26.58 $26.58

-30.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.8K

$42.15 $42.15

17.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.9K

$29.74 $29.74

-40.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$4.89 $4.89

-12.68%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$133 $133

268.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.2M

$5,675 $5,675

-0.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.7K

$64.5 $64.5

-30.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.6K

$39.94 $39.94

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$80.9 $80.9

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$68.6 $68.6

15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.5M

$190 $190

491.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$133 $133

403.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$353 $353

911.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$264 $264

551.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$444 $444

-63.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

175.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Machala: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Machala

$133 20.3% 80.2% $538

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Machala

$135 20.6% 53.1% $153

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Machala

$94 14.3% 12.6% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Machala

$114 17.4% 6.3% $6.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Machala

$94 14.3% 9.9% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Machala

$52 7.9% 10.5% $6.1

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Machala

$34 5.1% 195% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $190 in Machala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machala pays about 2.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $25 in Machala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $135 per month, with Machala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇪🇨 Machala

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

231,260

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Machala 17,880 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Machala

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 Machala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machala is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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 $190 in Machala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Machala – a meal for two runs $25 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $656 in Machala – Machala is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $656 in Machala versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Machala 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.