Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mahajanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahajanga: $538 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Mahajanga

🇲🇬 Madagascar

$538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $538 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Mahajanga $538

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $792 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Mahajanga $792

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,045 in Mahajanga, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Mahajanga $1,045

Ubud, Bali costs about 151% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$2.02 MGA 9,238

64.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$17.69 MGA 81.0K

101.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$0.64 MGA 2,927

325.00%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.90 MGA 4,108

88.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.84 MGA 3,850

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$0.97 MGA 4,431

173.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$1.57 MGA 7,197

178.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.34 MGA 6,128

11.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$0.81 MGA 3,726

181.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.60 MGA 2,740

98.33%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$2.06 MGA 9,446

-0.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

170.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$6.55 MGA 30.0K

-39.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$3.46 MGA 15.9K

252.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$1.07 MGA 4,898

242.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$0.63 MGA 2,866

141.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$0.68 MGA 3,110

227.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$0.68 MGA 3,134

189.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$0.52 MGA 2,366

255.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$0.54 MGA 2,463

348.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.32 MGA 1,450

209.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.57 MGA 2,598

-10.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$8.85 MGA 40.5K

151.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$0.76 MGA 3,462

197.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$0.90 MGA 4,128

230.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$0.24 MGA 1,104

4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.33 MGA 6,110

-38.35%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$43.81 MGA 200.5K

80.46%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$6.56 MGA 30.0K

-1.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$21.87 MGA 100.1K

-15.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$17.71 MGA 81.0K

179.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$325 MGA 1.5M

246.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$265 MGA 1.2M

153.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$661 MGA 3.0M

439.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$436 MGA 2.0M

295.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Mahajanga: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Mahajanga

–

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Mahajanga

–

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Mahajanga

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Mahajanga

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Mahajanga

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Mahajanga

–

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Mahajanga

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $325 in Mahajanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $18 in Mahajanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $144 – making Mahajanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇬 Mahajanga

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

09:35 9:35 AM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

246,022

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malagasy Ariary MGA Ar

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD

10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MGA, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malagasy Ariary exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4,577 MGA (10,000 MGA = 2.18 USD). 1 EUR = 5,110 MGA (10,000 MGA = 1.96 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Mahajanga 7,510 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Mahajanga

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 Mahajanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 151% more than Mahajanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $808 in Mahajanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahajanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $325 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $538 in Mahajanga. That makes Mahajanga about 60% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 100% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Mahajanga, where all-in costs run around $538, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Mahajanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $538 in Mahajanga to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.