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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $662 in Makassar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,005 in Makassar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,347 in Makassar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 114% more expensive than Makassar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Makassar is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$3.13 Rp 55.9K

13.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$9.45 Rp 168.8K

246.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$2.98 Rp 53.2K

66.11%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

55.75%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.71 Rp 12.7K

88.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.39 Rp 6,976

79.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$3.67 Rp 65.5K

-20.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$3.72 Rp 66.4K

6.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

11.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.09 Rp 19.4K

131.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.64 Rp 11.5K

81.25%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.44 Rp 25.8K

70.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$5.49 Rp 98.0K

167.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$2.77 Rp 49.5K

55.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$4.36 Rp 77.8K

178.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.29 Rp 40.9K

67.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.64 Rp 29.3K

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.85 Rp 33.0K

52.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

48.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.26 Rp 22.5K

51.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

41.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.41 Rp 7,381

146.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.47 Rp 8,440

65.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.56 Rp 45.8K

29.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$22.53 Rp 402.4K

5.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$2.10 Rp 37.4K

32.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.48 Rp 44.3K

15.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.32 Rp 5,720

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$4.51 Rp 80.5K

78.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

-17.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.29 Rp 5,115

55.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$3.03 Rp 54.1K

101.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

1.28%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$16.8K Rp 299.6M

55.87%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$18.7K Rp 334.7M

71.39%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

20.25%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$3.50 Rp 62.5K

16.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$32.44 Rp 579.2K

-27.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$23.28 Rp 415.8K

323.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$6.03 Rp 107.6K

9.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$3.16 Rp 56.4K

31.33%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$106 Rp 1.9M

185.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$4,097 Rp 73.2M

61.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$30.05 Rp 536.6K

84.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$25.17 Rp 449.4K

52.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$81.8 Rp 1.5M

8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$43.93 Rp 784.5K

77.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$212 Rp 3.8M

374.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$168 Rp 3.0M

301.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$438 Rp 7.8M

685.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$333 Rp 5.9M

512.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,167 Rp 20.8M

143.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$737 Rp 13.2M

207.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$218 Rp 3.9M

-24.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

121.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Makassar: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $212 in Makassar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Makassar pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Makassar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $190 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 114% 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, Makassar earns 32% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $212 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 78% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $106 in Makassar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $662 in Makassar versus $1,419 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 $662 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 114% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.