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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $672 in Msaken.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,076 in Msaken.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,480 in Msaken.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 110% more expensive than in Msaken, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Msaken is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.01 TND 14.66

-31.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$23.30 TND 68.2

38.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.97 TND 14.55

-2.62%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.02 TND 2.99

169.61%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.70 TND 2.04

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.29 TND 0.84

158.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.22 TND 3.58

145.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.64 TND 7.71

45.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.50 TND 1.47

248.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.16 TND 0.46

1437.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.30 TND 3.80

-10.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.67 TND 4.90

45.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$12.14 TND 35.51

19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$6.19 TND 18.10

-29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$14.04 TND 41.09

-14.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.00 TND 5.87

86.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$3.15 TND 9.21

-48.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.16 TND 3.40

136.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.75 TND 2.19

198.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.71 TND 2.07

170.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.58 TND 1.70

293.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.43 TND 1.27

146.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.31 TND 0.91

132.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.29 TND 9.64

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$6.02 TND 17.60

285.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.15 TND 3.36

141.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.40 TND 4.09

95.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.35 TND 1.03

-22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$10.00 TND 29.25

-18.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.31 TND 0.91

54.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.33 TND 0.97

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$3.49 TND 10.21

78.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.87 TND 2.55

-6.90%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$41.2K TND 120.5K

-35.39%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$35.6K TND 104.1K

-9.50%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$57.8 TND 169

35.48%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$9.77 TND 28.58

-58.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$18.81 TND 55.1

29.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$23.44 TND 68.6

320.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$12.89 TND 37.71

-50.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$5.50 TND 16.09

-27.45%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$106 TND 312

186.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$3,182 TND 9,309

108.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$42.28 TND 124

28.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$61.4 TND 180

-38.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$102 TND 298

-14.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$79.1 TND 231

-3.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$195 TND 571

408.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$133 TND 389

406.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$381 TND 1,116

784.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$269 TND 788

661.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,043 TND 3,053

168.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$632 TND 1,849

252.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$245 TND 716

-31.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.96

21.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Msaken: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $195 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msaken pays 47% 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 $23.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $195 per month, with Msaken 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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Msaken. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $195 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Msaken runs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $106 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $672 in Msaken versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Msaken is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Msaken 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 Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 110% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.