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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $842 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,202 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,562 in Mandaue.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 66% more expensive than in Mandaue, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Mandaue is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$3.12 ₱195

8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$23.01 ₱1,439

67.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$3.90 ₱244

41.54%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.51 ₱157

5.18%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.59 ₱36.76

183.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.50 ₱31.03

54.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$1.78 ₱111

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.20 ₱138

94.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.94 ₱122

-20.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.19 ₱74.4

86.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$0.92 ₱57.7

22.83%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$2.06 ₱129

1.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$9.95 ₱622

74.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$4.46 ₱279

-13.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$7.39 ₱462

69.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$3.31 ₱207

9.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.47 ₱91.9

6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$2.42 ₱151

-2.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$1.55 ₱97.0

32.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$2.36 ₱147

-19.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$1.89 ₱118

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$1.20 ₱74.9

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.63 ₱39.13

-12.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$2.47 ₱154

-8.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$6.37 ₱399

273.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$1.24 ₱77.3

86.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.69 ₱105

65.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.24 ₱14.86

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$10.58 ₱661

-18.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$0.78 ₱49.01

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.21 ₱13.09

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$1.94 ₱121

194.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.27 ₱79.2

-40.16%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$21.3K ₱1.3M

15.16%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$19.7K ₱1.2M

62.77%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$99.6 ₱6,229

-16.12%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$14.83 ₱927

-56.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$28.47 ₱1,781

-33.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$31.87 ₱1,993

75.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$5.02 ₱314

270.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$5.69 ₱356

-24.78%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$136 ₱8,512

257.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$8,067 ₱504.5K

-27.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$32.04 ₱2,004

42.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$19.34 ₱1,210

88.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$78.5 ₱4,911

4.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$58.8 ₱3,674

36.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$440 ₱27.5K

153.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$252 ₱15.8K

177.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$754 ₱47.1K

369.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$356 ₱22.2K

395.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$2,943 ₱184.0K

-3.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$1,157 ₱72.4K

98.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$244 ₱15.3K

-30.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.2

91.39%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $440 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaue pays 44% 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 $23.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $206 per month, with Mandaue 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 Mandaue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandaue wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandaue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Mandaue. 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 $440 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $842 in Mandaue – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $842 in Mandaue versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandaue but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Mandaue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandaue delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $842 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandaue hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Mandaue 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 Mandaue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.