Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Matagalpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Matagalpa: $810 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Matagalpa
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
$810
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $810 in Matagalpa, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Matagalpa $810

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,231 in Matagalpa, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Matagalpa $1,231

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,652 in Matagalpa, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Matagalpa $1,652

Ubud, Bali costs about 69% more than Matagalpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Matagalpa is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$7.09 NIO 260
-53.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$25.36 NIO 929
38.72%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$7.83 NIO 287
-25.93%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$2.63 NIO 96.2
3.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.85 NIO 31.19
92.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.43 NIO 15.71
93.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.22 NIO 44.61
121.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$2.22 NIO 81.3
93.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.26 NIO 46.23
19.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$1.27 NIO 46.35
81.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.81 NIO 66.3
-34.81%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.24 NIO 82.0
-4.46%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$2.68 NIO 98.1
552.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$4.30 NIO 157
-6.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$6.69 NIO 245
82.81%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$3.97 NIO 145
-10.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$0.58 NIO 21.15
170.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.76 NIO 64.5
27.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$2.43 NIO 88.9
-20.58%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$3.91 NIO 143
-51.92%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$2.26 NIO 82.7
1.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.09 NIO 40.00
-9.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$1.01 NIO 36.99
-47.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$2.65 NIO 97.1
-13.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$10.13 NIO 371
127.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.21 NIO 44.26
93.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.18 NIO 79.7
33.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.20 NIO 7.16
20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$1.12 NIO 40.88
-57.14%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.28 NIO 46.87
-64.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$6.74 NIO 247
-19.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.37 NIO 50.1
-35.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$23.1K NIO 846.8K
6.25%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$26.4K NIO 966.5K
18.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$60.5 NIO 2,216
37.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$16.76 NIO 614
-61.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$32.63 NIO 1,195
-43.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$9.16 NIO 335
-52.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$233 NIO 8,517
112.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$6,180 NIO 226.3K
-6.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$59.1 NIO 2,163
-21.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$64.8 NIO 2,374
-45.50%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$122 NIO 4,466
-35.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$145 NIO 5,308
-45.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$201 NIO 7,358
468.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$173 NIO 6,345
289.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$305 NIO 11.2K
1048.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$248 NIO 9,083
585.41%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Matagalpa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$203 NIO 7,432
-18.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.92
15.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Matagalpa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Matagalpa
$173 74.4% $502
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Matagalpa
$197 32.2% $93
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Matagalpa
$127 17.1% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Matagalpa
$110 1.7% $1.8
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Matagalpa
$176 63.5% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Matagalpa
$18 * 71.6% $46
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Matagalpa
$8.3 * 33.9% $4.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $201 in Matagalpa. 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 23% higher in Matagalpa, 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 $25.00 in Matagalpa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $197 – making Matagalpa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇳🇮 Matagalpa
🕒 Local time
13:31 1:31 PM
23:31 11:31 PM
14 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
159,982
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NIO, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Matagalpa 17,650 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Matagalpa

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 Matagalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Matagalpa compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, $810 in Matagalpa – roughly 69% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Matagalpa?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,215 in Matagalpa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Matagalpa?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Matagalpa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $25.00 in Matagalpa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 47% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Matagalpa, where all-in costs run around $810, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Matagalpa 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 Matagalpa?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $810 in Matagalpa to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ubud, Bali or Matagalpa 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 Matagalpa?
If budget matters most, go with Matagalpa. 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.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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