Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Merrillville, IN

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,522 in Merrillville, IN, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Merrillville, IN, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Merrillville, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,522
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Merrillville, IN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,522 in Merrillville, IN.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Merrillville, IN $2,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,513 in Merrillville, IN.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Merrillville, IN $3,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,505 in Merrillville, IN.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Merrillville, IN $4,505

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 47% less than in Merrillville, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$14.98 $14.98
-77.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$55.8 $55.8
-36.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$9.94 $9.94
-44.37%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$4.48 $4.48
-39.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.27 $2.27
-25.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$2.22 $2.22
-65.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$4.40 $4.40
-39.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$5.96 $5.96
-26.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$0.73 $0.73
104.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$3.19 $3.19
-28.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$4.72 $4.72
-74.79%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$4.72 $4.72
-56.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$11.08 $11.08
59.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$9.40 $9.40
-57.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$22.23 $22.23
-45.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$5.78 $5.78
-36.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.12 $1.12
35.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.39 $4.39
-49.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$5.68 $5.68
-65.32%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$3.57 $3.57
-48.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$4.34 $4.34
-44.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.44 $2.44
-59.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$1.22 $1.22
-58.20%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$11.07 $11.07
-79.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
$11.88 $11.88
87.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$1.99 $1.99
13.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$3.46 $3.46
-14.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$1.75 $1.75
-85.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$67.2 $67.2
-88.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$4.91 $4.91
-91.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$1.81 $1.81
-76.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$50.1 $50.1
-89.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.92 $0.92
-10.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$27.3K $27.3K
-12.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$26.0K $26.0K
22.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$233 $233
-66.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$50.5 $50.5
-87.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$59.8 $59.8
-68.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$37.20 $37.20
33.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$14.85 $14.85
-71.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$1,353 $1,353
-63.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$23.8K $23.8K
-76.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$53.2 $53.2
-16.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$40.27 $40.27
-13.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$109 $109
-26.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$95.5 $95.5
-16.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$1,400 $1,400
-19.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$1,244 $1,244
-46.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$2,523 $2,523
41.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$1,796 $1,796
-4.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$2,837 $2,837
-3.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$2,031 $2,031
12.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Merrillville, IN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.53
111.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Merrillville, IN
$1.2K 85.3% $573
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Merrillville, IN
$390 35.1% $101
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Merrillville, IN
$255 137% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Merrillville, IN
$134 24.6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Merrillville, IN
$344 230% $240
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Merrillville, IN
$67 15.3% $8.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Merrillville, IN
$88 672% $77

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $56 in Merrillville, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $390 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN
🕒 Local time
23:23 11:23 PM
10:23 10:23 AM
13 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
36,444
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Merrillville, IN 15,730 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Merrillville, IN

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 Merrillville, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Merrillville, IN?
Ubud, Bali and Merrillville, IN differ by about 87% in total monthly costs ($1,349 vs $2,522 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Merrillville, IN?
You’d need roughly $2,023 in Ubud, Bali and $3,783 in Merrillville, IN 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Merrillville, IN?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Merrillville, IN?
Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,353 in Merrillville, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Merrillville, IN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Merrillville, IN?
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.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Merrillville, IN?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Merrillville, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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