Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Msaken

For one person, living is cheaper in Msaken: $646 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Msaken
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$646
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Msaken

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $646 in Msaken.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Msaken $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,020 in Msaken.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Msaken $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,394 in Msaken.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Msaken $1,394

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 112% more expensive than in Msaken, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Msaken is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$4.93 TND 14.76
-32.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$21.88 TND 65.5
60.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$5.86 TND 17.55
-1.02%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$1.03 TND 3.08
165.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.80 TND 2.39
105.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.37 TND 1.11
124.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.71 TND 5.11
57.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$2.13 TND 6.38
101.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$0.48 TND 1.45
212.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$0.30 TND 0.90
666.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.71 TND 5.12
-30.99%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$1.76 TND 5.26
21.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$13.69 TND 41.00
27.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$5.65 TND 16.93
-28.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$14.36 TND 43.00
-14.83%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$2.04 TND 6.10
74.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$3.60 TND 10.78
-56.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.11 TND 3.33
101.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$0.81 TND 2.43
138.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$0.86 TND 2.59
118.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$0.63 TND 1.88
263.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.40 TND 1.20
147.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.32 TND 0.95
65.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$3.76 TND 11.26
-39.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$5.94 TND 17.78
287.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.07 TND 3.20
118.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$1.31 TND 3.92
122.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.34 TND 1.02
-29.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.32 TND 0.96
50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.32 TND 0.96
43.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$3.91 TND 11.71
39.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$0.86 TND 2.58
2.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$38.9K TND 116.4K
-36.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$35.6K TND 106.8K
-12.51%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$59.7 TND 179
39.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$9.20 TND 27.56
-29.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$20.21 TND 60.5
-8.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$21.29 TND 63.8
162.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$5.92 TND 17.73
-26.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$91.9 TND 275
436.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$3,156 TND 9,452
82.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$43.28 TND 130
6.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$58.7 TND 176
-39.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$117 TND 351
-32.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$86.0 TND 258
-8.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$108 TND 325
953.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$93.1 TND 279
626.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$203 TND 607
1627.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$150 TND 450
1031.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Msaken
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$244 TND 731
-32.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
10.67
29.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Msaken: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Msaken
$93 86.2% $583
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Msaken
$203 29.9% $87
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Msaken
$87 20.2% $22
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Msaken
$89 17.5% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Msaken
$137 27.8% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Msaken
$33 48.7% $31
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Msaken
$3.3 * 73.9% $9.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $108 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Msaken pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $203 per month, with Msaken cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇹🇳 Msaken
🕒 Local time
09:37 9:37 AM
02:37 2:37 AM
7 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
56,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Msaken 11,880 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Msaken

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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Msaken cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Msaken is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ubud, Bali or Msaken?
On paper, salaries run 48% 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.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Msaken?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $108 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $91.9 in Msaken. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Msaken?
Dining out is cheaper in Msaken – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Msaken?
At $646 in Msaken versus $1,368 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.
Is Ubud, Bali or Msaken more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Msaken?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Ubud, Bali. 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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