Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Monrovia, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,926 in Monrovia, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Monrovia, CA

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,926 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Monrovia, CA $2,926

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,313 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Monrovia, CA $4,313

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,700 in Monrovia, CA, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Monrovia, CA $5,700

Ubud, Bali is about 55% cheaper than Monrovia, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ubud, Bali sits 2% below the global median, while Monrovia, CA is 116% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$24.99 $24.99

-86.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 629.1K

$98.7 $98.7

-64.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

$11.70 $11.70

-52.39%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$5.75 $5.75

-54.43%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$2.83 $2.83

-45.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$1.96 $1.96

-67.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$7.66 $7.66

-65.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

$10.03 $10.03

-57.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.18 $1.18

23.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$5.73 $5.73

-60.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$4.44 $4.44

-75.00%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$4.89 $4.89

-57.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.4K

$12.24 $12.24

30.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

$20.67 $20.67

-81.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 207.0K

$13.99 $13.99

-18.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

$5.56 $5.56

-36.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.78 $1.78

-13.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.20 $4.20

-46.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$6.51 $6.51

-69.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$3.57 $3.57

-47.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$3.51 $3.51

-31.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$2.37 $2.37

-56.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,483

$2.30 $2.30

-77.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$11.64 $11.64

-81.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.6K

$15.28 $15.28

42.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$1.78 $1.78

30.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$3.80 $3.80

-21.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,546

$1.84 $1.84

-86.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

$63.4 $63.4

-87.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,947

$4.59 $4.59

-90.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,496

$1.91 $1.91

-75.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.7K

$36.09 $36.09

-84.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.59 $1.59

-47.80%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.8M

$27.7K $27.7K

-11.80%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

$26.5K $26.5K

19.50%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$219 $219

-64.64%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.6K

$70.1 $70.1

-91.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.4K

$70.8 $70.8

-73.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.8K

$45.66 $45.66

11.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$11.79 $11.79

-62.85%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$1,862 $1,862

-73.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.9M

$35.0K $35.0K

-65.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.9K

$74.2 $74.2

-39.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 633.4K

$40.65 $40.65

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$78.7 $78.7

-0.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$159 $159

-50.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

$1,606 $1,606

-32.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$1,394 $1,394

-52.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$2,499 $2,499

40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$2,235 $2,235

-25.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

$2,887 $2,887

-18.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$2,073 $2,073

7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.56

110.06%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monrovia, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Monrovia, CA

$1.4K 47.6% 110% $729

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Monrovia, CA

$478 16.3% 71.1% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Monrovia, CA

$158 5.4% 49.1% $52

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Monrovia, CA

$381 13% 261% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Monrovia, CA

$360 12.3% 251% $257

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Monrovia, CA

$69 2.4% 15.9% $9.5

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Monrovia, CA

$85 2.9% 610% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,606 in Monrovia, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $99 in Monrovia, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $478 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

16 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

36,590

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,353 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Monrovia, CA 13,890 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Monrovia, CA

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 Monrovia, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, $2,926 in Monrovia, CA – Ubud, Bali comes out roughly 55% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,389 in Monrovia, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,078 there versus $1,606 in Monrovia, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali and $99 in Monrovia, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $2,926 in Monrovia, CA. That makes Ubud, Bali about 55% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $2,926 in Monrovia, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Ubud, Bali is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.