Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Manila

For one person, living is cheaper in Manila: $948 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Manila
🇵🇭 Philippines
$948
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $948 in Manila, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Manila $948

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,508 in Manila, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Manila $1,508

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,068 in Manila, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Manila $2,068

Ubud, Bali costs about 44% more than Manila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Manila is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$5.46 ₱344
-39.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$26.93 ₱1,695
30.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$3.90 ₱246
48.72%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$2.62 ₱165
4.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$1.36 ₱85.5
20.59%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.83 ₱52.3
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.22 ₱76.9
121.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$2.32 ₱146
85.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.96 ₱123
-23.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$1.42 ₱89.1
61.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.04 ₱65.4
13.46%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.23 ₱140
-4.04%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$7.70 ₱485
127.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$4.91 ₱309
-17.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$7.12 ₱448
71.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$3.23 ₱204
9.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.92 ₱121
-18.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$2.93 ₱184
-23.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$1.79 ₱113
7.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$2.32 ₱146
-18.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$2.73 ₱172
-16.12%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.12 ₱133
-53.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.59 ₱37.25
-10.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$3.18 ₱200
-28.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$9.81 ₱618
134.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.34 ₱84.1
74.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.00 ₱126
45.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.47 ₱29.47
-48.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$12.56 ₱791
-29.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.73 ₱46.07
-34.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.21 ₱13.20
119.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$1.87 ₱118
191.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.28 ₱80.6
-31.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$21.4K ₱1.3M
14.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$19.3K ₱1.2M
61.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$124 ₱7,822
-33.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$15.73 ₱990
-59.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$24.40 ₱1,536
-23.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$43.31 ₱2,727
28.88%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$5.79 ₱365
212.78%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$6.76 ₱425
-35.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$630 ₱39.7K
-21.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$9,004 ₱566.9K
-36.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$58.3 ₱3,668
-20.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$27.34 ₱1,721
29.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$75.6 ₱4,758
4.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$56.6 ₱3,564
38.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$536 ₱33.8K
113.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$284 ₱17.9K
138.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$1,874 ₱118.0K
86.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$654 ₱41.2K
159.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$4,438 ₱279.4K
-37.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$2,530 ₱159.3K
-11.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Manila
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$467 ₱29.4K
-64.75%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
7.43
85.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Manila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Manila
$284 58% $392
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Manila
$222 23.4% $68
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Manila
$106 2.2% $2.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Manila
$164 52.2% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Manila
$98 8.9% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Manila
$57 12% $7.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Manila
$16 29.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $536 in Manila. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 184% higher in Manila, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $27.00 in Manila. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $222 – making Manila the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇭 Manila
🕒 Local time
09:37 9:37 AM
09:37 9:37 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,780,148 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Manila 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Manila

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 Manila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Manila compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, $948 in Manila – roughly 44% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Manila?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,422 in Manila. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Manila?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Manila, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Manila?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $948 in Manila. That's a gap of about 44%.
How do commuting costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Manila?
Public transport costs about 42% less in Manila. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Manila, where all-in costs run around $948, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Manila it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Manila?
It depends on your priorities. Manila has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $948 in Manila to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ubud, Bali or Manila safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Manila?
If budget matters most, go with Manila. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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