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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,300 in Monrovia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,887 in Monrovia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,474 in Monrovia.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 5% more expensive than in Monrovia, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Monrovia is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$7.39 LRD 1,273

-53.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$11.06 LRD 1,907

-48.37%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$3.04 LRD 524

-12.17%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.94 LRD 335

-9.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$2.04 LRD 351

-57.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$4.04 LRD 696

-26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$3.02 LRD 521

49.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$2.15 LRD 370

-24.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.81 LRD 313

28.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$5.25 LRD 905

-78.86%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.68 LRD 634

-40.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$7.94 LRD 1,368

122.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$11.75 LRD 2,025

-65.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$13.53 LRD 2,331

-9.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.60 LRD 276

131.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$8.23 LRD 1,418

-80.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$10.28 LRD 1,771

-77.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$11.10 LRD 1,913

-82.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$2.17 LRD 375

-11.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$10.77 LRD 1,856

-78.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$4.76 LRD 821

-78.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$1.99 LRD 342

-72.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$5.12 LRD 883

-56.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$7.02 LRD 1,211

228.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$2.53 LRD 435

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$3.53 LRD 608

-15.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

$3.09 LRD 532

-91.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$20.12 LRD 3,468

-55.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$1.95 LRD 335

-75.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$1.81 LRD 313

-76.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$24.79 LRD 4,273

-77.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.27 LRD 220

-37.01%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$19.7K LRD 3.4M

26.81%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$15.0K LRD 2.6M

110.78%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$149 LRD 25.8K

-45.48%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$22.31 LRD 3,846

-70.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$183 LRD 31.5K

-89.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$62.8 LRD 10.8K

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

$10.16 LRD 1,751

84.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$4.86 LRD 838

-6.58%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$101 LRD 17.4K

375.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$1,018 LRD 175.5K

460.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$24.62 LRD 4,243

84.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$32.27 LRD 5,562

11.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$54.5 LRD 9,393

47.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$93.8 LRD 16.2K

-16.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$255 LRD 43.9K

337.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$96.3 LRD 16.6K

624.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$653 LRD 112.5K

456.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$269 LRD 46.4K

545.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$686 LRD 118.3K

-75.52%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Monrovia: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $255 in Monrovia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monrovia pays 308% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monrovia wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monrovia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 308% lower in Monrovia. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $255 in Monrovia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $101 in Monrovia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 124% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,300 in Monrovia versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monrovia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,300 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monrovia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Monrovia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.