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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $905 in Mandaue.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,369 in Mandaue.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,833 in Mandaue.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mandaue, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Mandaue is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$4.40 ₱271

-21.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$23.85 ₱1,468

35.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$4.37 ₱269

10.76%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.55 ₱157

7.84%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.78 ₱48.26

76.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.43 ₱26.31

74.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$1.52 ₱93.8

96.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.15 ₱132

79.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$2.12 ₱130

-17.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.80 ₱49.37

207.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.98 ₱60.5

19.39%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.26 ₱139

7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$12.94 ₱797

12.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$5.18 ₱319

-16.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$7.77 ₱478

54.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$3.57 ₱220

4.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.53 ₱94.3

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$3.39 ₱209

-19.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.26 ₱139

-0.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$2.55 ₱157

-24.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$2.47 ₱152

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.94 ₱57.7

12.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.79 ₱48.55

-8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$2.62 ₱161

25.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$6.24 ₱384

271.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.17 ₱71.8

137.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$2.36 ₱145

15.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.26 ₱15.98

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.87 ₱53.4

-44.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.25 ₱15.48

68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$2.63 ₱162

136.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.09 ₱67.2

-25.69%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$30.1K ₱1.9M

-11.52%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$27.4K ₱1.7M

17.61%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$96.6 ₱5,944

-18.85%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$26.07 ₱1,605

-84.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$30.13 ₱1,855

-19.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$48.75 ₱3,001

102.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$4.36 ₱268

45.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$6.11 ₱376

-34.70%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$228 ₱14.1K

33.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$3,860 ₱237.6K

72.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$44.98 ₱2,769

20.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$23.33 ₱1,437

62.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$75.8 ₱4,667

14.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$55.5 ₱3,416

37.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$263 ₱16.2K

277.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$287 ₱17.7K

134.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$837 ₱51.6K

303.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$442 ₱27.2K

363.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$2,718 ₱167.3K

3.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$837 ₱51.5K

166.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$246 ₱15.1K

-32.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

66.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mandaue: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $263 in Mandaue. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandaue pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $24.00 in Mandaue for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $231 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 56% 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 47% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $263 in Mandaue. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $228 in Mandaue. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mandaue – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $905 in Mandaue versus $1,408 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 $905 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 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.