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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $769 in Monteria.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,173 in Monteria.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,578 in Monteria.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 81% more expensive than Monteria, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Monteria is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$4.79 COP 16.4K

-29.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$30.89 COP 105.9K

4.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$7.40 COP 25.4K

-32.43%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$1.72 COP 5,878

63.95%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.85 COP 2,915

62.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.64 COP 2,203

14.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$1.31 COP 4,480

127.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$1.91 COP 6,562

107.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.92 COP 3,139

94.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$1.31 COP 4,501

87.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.02 COP 3,481

17.65%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.49 COP 5,099

60.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$4.55 COP 15.6K

216.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$2.83 COP 9,692

51.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$3.91 COP 13.4K

202.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.92 COP 6,570

96.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.50 COP 1,727

226.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.01 COP 3,466

177.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$0.79 COP 2,697

186.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$0.96 COP 3,296

108.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.00 COP 3,442

121.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.82 COP 2,819

30.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.47 COP 1,596

61.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$2.75 COP 9,439

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$10.11 COP 34.6K

135.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$0.91 COP 3,124

212.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$1.31 COP 4,496

112.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.68 COP 2,316

-60.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$30.16 COP 103.4K

-72.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.91 COP 6,532

-76.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$2.96 COP 10.1K

-85.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$4.41 COP 15.1K

35.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.98 COP 3,363

-18.37%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$14.1K COP 48.3M

83.21%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$22.3K COP 76.4M

42.72%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$96.2 COP 329.8K

-16.08%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$7.18 COP 24.6K

-42.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$19.05 COP 65.3K

26.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$23.36 COP 80.1K

318.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$9.91 COP 34.0K

-33.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$3.79 COP 13.0K

6.60%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$166 COP 570.2K

78.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$1,825 COP 6.3M

261.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$60.6 COP 207.7K

-9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$19.29 COP 66.1K

99.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$60.1 COP 205.9K

43.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$35.81 COP 122.7K

117.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$287 COP 984.1K

243.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$236 COP 810.5K

181.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$525 COP 1.8M

556.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$431 COP 1.5M

373.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$1,747 COP 6.0M

61.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$1,281 COP 4.4M

78.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$375 COP 1.3M

-54.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

32.80%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Monteria: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $287 in Monteria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monteria pays 121% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Monteria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $134 per month, with Monteria cheaper across the board.

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 Monteria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monteria wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monteria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Monteria earns 121% less. 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $287 in Monteria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $166 in Monteria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 124% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $769 in Monteria versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monteria but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Monteria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Monteria delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $769 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monteria hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Monteria 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 Monteria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.