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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,245 in Nara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,877 in Nara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,509 in Nara.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 10% more expensive than in Nara, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Nara is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.34 ¥990

-45.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$31.85 ¥4,970

14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.00 ¥780

14.20%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.50 ¥390

6.80%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.28 ¥199

36.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.75 ¥117

16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$3.17 ¥495

-6.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.21 ¥501

40.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.56 ¥243

3.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.36 ¥213

71.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$4.17 ¥651

-73.38%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.20 ¥343

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$9.68 ¥1,511

82.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$7.31 ¥1,141

-43.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$18.41 ¥2,872

-33.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$3.36 ¥524

10.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$2.06 ¥321

-22.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.05 ¥321

11.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$4.16 ¥650

-53.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.58 ¥247

20.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.14 ¥179

104.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.15 ¥180

-12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.86 ¥134

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.09 ¥638

-45.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$9.52 ¥1,485

142.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.91 ¥298

26.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.24 ¥349

33.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.58 ¥246

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$73.3 ¥11.4K

-87.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.15 ¥491

-84.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$2.95 ¥461

-85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$16.47 ¥2,570

-65.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.13 ¥176

-29.20%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$22.1K ¥3.5M

12.79%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$15.4K ¥2.4M

105.38%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$120 ¥18.7K

-31.90%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$24.93 ¥3,889

-73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$31.68 ¥4,944

-40.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$83.7 ¥13.1K

-32.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$7.61 ¥1,187

146.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$12.23 ¥1,908

-62.88%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$527 ¥82.2K

-8.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$13.6K ¥2.1M

-58.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$48.97 ¥7,640

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$31.81 ¥4,963

12.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$61.2 ¥9,540

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$92.0 ¥14.4K

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$420 ¥65.5K

165.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$349 ¥54.4K

100.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$854 ¥133.3K

325.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$541 ¥84.4K

221.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,813 ¥439.0K

-1.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$2,063 ¥322.0K

10.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,159 ¥180.9K

-85.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

2.01

585.57%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nara: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $420 in Nara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nara pays 590% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $32.00 in Nara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $289 per month, with Nara 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 Nara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nara is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 590% lower in Nara. 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 $420 in Nara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nara – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,245 in Nara – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,245 in Nara versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nara but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Nara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nara 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 Nara 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 Nara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.