Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and May Pen

For one person, living is cheaper in May Pen: $722 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

May Pen

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$722

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in May Pen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $722 in May Pen.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
May Pen $722

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $818 in May Pen.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
May Pen $818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $914 in May Pen.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
May Pen $914

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in May Pen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.23 JMD 352

-33.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$3.69 JMD 583

-38.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$3.12 JMD 492

-61.86%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$3.37 JMD 531

-39.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$7.67 JMD 1,209

-48.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$5.10 JMD 804

139.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$1.60 JMD 253

128.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$4.93 JMD 777

-69.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$6.33 JMD 998

-64.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$1.85 JMD 291

6.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.93 JMD 304

-4.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$1.93 JMD 304

25.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$3.08 JMD 485

-67.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$2.90 JMD 458

-82.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$2.26 JMD 357

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.41 JMD 223

-41.84%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$42.49 JMD 6,701

-84.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$53.7 JMD 8,463

-65.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$15.88 JMD 2,503

181.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$21.63 JMD 3,411

61.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$41.60 JMD 6,560

92.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$52.7 JMD 8,310

50.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$288 JMD 45.4K

133.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for May Pen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

May Pen

–

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

May Pen

–

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

May Pen

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

May Pen

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

May Pen

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

May Pen

–

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

May Pen

–

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇯🇲 May Pen

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

10:01 10:01 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

44,755

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,228 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali May Pen 18,300 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
May Pen

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 May Pen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

May Pen wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making May Pen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,023 in Ubud, Bali and $1,083 in May Pen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $722 in May Pen – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $722 in May Pen versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $800 budget is realistic in May Pen but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes May Pen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.