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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $660 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $990 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,319 in Makassar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 112% more expensive than in Makassar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Makassar is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.9K

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

92.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 685.5K

$9.14 Rp 162.4K

322.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 98.1K

$3.31 Rp 58.8K

66.77%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 47.0K

$1.93 Rp 34.4K

36.79%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.7K

$0.47 Rp 8,344

255.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

$0.36 Rp 6,423

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.8K

$2.55 Rp 45.4K

3.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$3.27 Rp 58.0K

30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

-0.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.05 Rp 18.6K

111.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

$0.63 Rp 11.2K

79.37%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 37.1K

$1.50 Rp 26.7K

39.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 309.0K

$6.29 Rp 111.7K

176.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.7K

$3.51 Rp 62.4K

10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 222.9K

$5.24 Rp 93.1K

139.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 64.2K

$2.47 Rp 43.9K

46.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

$1.40 Rp 24.8K

11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.8K

$2.02 Rp 35.8K

16.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.5K

$1.88 Rp 33.5K

9.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

$1.14 Rp 20.3K

66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

47.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$0.74 Rp 13.1K

39.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,854

$0.38 Rp 6,834

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.0K

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

-14.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 422.9K

$22.51 Rp 399.9K

5.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 41.1K

$1.84 Rp 32.6K

25.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.8K

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,839

$0.29 Rp 5,159

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.9K

$4.27 Rp 75.8K

102.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,554

$0.51 Rp 9,106

-5.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,924

$0.35 Rp 6,252

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.6K

$2.76 Rp 49.1K

107.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

-2.56%

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

$24.5K Rp 434.9M

$15.5K Rp 274.7M

58.31%

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

$32.1K Rp 570.6M

$17.1K Rp 302.9M

88.39%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-5.76%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.7K

$2.65 Rp 47.1K

143.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 337.4K

$25.53 Rp 453.6K

-25.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 994.4K

$21.97 Rp 390.3K

154.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 330.7K

$22.62 Rp 401.9K

-17.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$3.42 Rp 60.7K

25.15%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$95.8 Rp 1.7M

408.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 104.0M

$3,864 Rp 68.6M

51.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 809.3K

$27.10 Rp 481.4K

68.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 646.3K

$23.75 Rp 421.9K

53.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

$74.1 Rp 1.3M

10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$41.26 Rp 733.0K

94.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

$197 Rp 3.5M

468.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.5M

$150 Rp 2.7M

366.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.8M

$399 Rp 7.1M

785.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.3M

$315 Rp 5.6M

459.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.2M

$1,415 Rp 25.1M

99.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.7M

$558 Rp 9.9M

310.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$216 Rp 3.8M

-21.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

129.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Makassar: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $197 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makassar pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $198 per month, with Makassar cheaper across the board.

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 Makassar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makassar wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Makassar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Makassar. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $197 in Makassar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Makassar runs roughly 103% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $95.8 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $660 in Makassar versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Makassar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Makassar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Makassar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $660 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Makassar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Makassar 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 Makassar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.