Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mahé

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,773 in Mahé, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Mahé
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Mahé Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Mahé

🇸🇨 Seychelles

$1,773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,773 in Mahé.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Mahé $1,773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,601 in Mahé.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Mahé $2,601

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,429 in Mahé.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Mahé $3,429

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 24% less than in Mahé, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Mahé 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$17.59 SCR 255

-81.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$106 SCR 1,546

-67.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.73 SCR 83.2

-0.52%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$6.59 SCR 95.7

-60.24%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.65 SCR 24.00

4.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$13.03 SCR 189

-79.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$9.09 SCR 132

-51.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.56 SCR 22.72

0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.13 SCR 16.46

93.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.86 SCR 27.04

-36.56%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$4.11 SCR 59.7

-47.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$15.85 SCR 230

11.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$8.18 SCR 119

-53.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$12.63 SCR 183

-5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.11 SCR 30.59

70.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.29 SCR 33.30

0.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$6.54 SCR 95.0

-70.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.09 SCR 15.82

63.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.09 SCR 15.84

113.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.04 SCR 15.14

-3.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$14.54 SCR 211

-84.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.20 SCR 31.96

35.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.75 SCR 10.83

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$35.49 SCR 515

-74.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$14.42 SCR 210

-62.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.53 SCR 22.17

-45.75%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$50.0 SCR 727

59.92%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$21.17 SCR 307

-69.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$108 SCR 1,574

-82.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$53.1 SCR 772

1.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$6.50 SCR 94.5

-34.62%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$30.20 SCR 439

50.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$12.25 SCR 178

185.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$48.21 SCR 700

61.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$61.2 SCR 889

28.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$853 SCR 12.4K

32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$850 SCR 12.3K

-20.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$1,757 SCR 25.5K

105.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$1,083 SCR 15.7K

57.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$857 SCR 12.4K

-80.58%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Mahé: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Mahé

$850 47.9% 26.3% $177

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Mahé

$244 * 13.7% 15.2% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Mahé

$68 3.9% 35.9% $38

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Mahé

$327 * 18.4% 207% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Mahé

$180 10.1% 70.7% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Mahé

$66 3.7% 5.6% $3.5

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Mahé

$38 * 2.2% 210% $26

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $853 in Mahé. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mahé pays 415% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $106 in Mahé. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $244, with Mahé cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇸🇨 Mahé

🕒 Local time

11:18 11:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

4 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

78,539

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Seychellois Rupee SCR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 SCR = 6.88 USD

100 SCR = 6.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SCR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Seychellois Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 14.52 SCR (100 SCR = 6.88 USD). 1 EUR = 16.33 SCR (100 SCR = 6.12 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Mahé 6,610 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Mahé

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 Mahé: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Mahé. 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 415% lower in Mahé. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $853 in Mahé. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Mahé pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,773 in Mahé – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,773 in Mahé, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Mahé. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Mahé 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Mahé. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.