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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $954 in Neum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,494 in Neum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,035 in Neum.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 49% more expensive than Neum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Neum is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$8.66 BAM 14.60

-58.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$41.82 BAM 70.5

-21.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$7.63 BAM 12.85

-35.12%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.65 BAM 2.77

64.24%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.94 BAM 3.27

-30.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.21 BAM 2.04

-42.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.09 BAM 3.52

39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.81 BAM 4.73

40.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.32 BAM 2.22

37.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.23 BAM 2.08

104.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.58 BAM 2.65

-26.58%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$3.01 BAM 5.06

-18.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$9.60 BAM 16.17

53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$8.75 BAM 14.75

-50.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$11.61 BAM 19.55

4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.41 BAM 2.37

172.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.64 BAM 2.76

-4.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.94 BAM 3.27

45.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.04 BAM 3.44

14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.15 BAM 1.94

66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.11 BAM 1.87

98.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.21 BAM 2.04

-16.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.73 BAM 1.23

6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.63 BAM 6.12

-8.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$4.06 BAM 6.83

484.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.76 BAM 1.29

267.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.13 BAM 1.91

153.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$1.85 BAM 3.12

-85.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$34.69 BAM 58.5

-76.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.50 BAM 2.53

-69.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$1.10 BAM 1.85

-59.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$7.28 BAM 12.26

-16.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.54 BAM 2.60

-48.70%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$29.1K BAM 49.0K

-10.06%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$26.4K BAM 44.4K

21.82%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$174 BAM 293

-54.01%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$18.87 BAM 31.79

-78.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$24.01 BAM 40.44

-2.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$28.99 BAM 48.84

240.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$10.97 BAM 18.49

-39.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.81 BAM 8.10

-13.72%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$203 BAM 343

49.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$3,618 BAM 6,096

82.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$69.6 BAM 117

-20.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$35.84 BAM 60.4

6.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$89.3 BAM 150

-0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$111 BAM 186

-29.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$261 BAM 439

285.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$169 BAM 285

299.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$363 BAM 612

847.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$315 BAM 530

547.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$2,608 BAM 4,394

8.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,838 BAM 3,096

23.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$882 BAM 1,486

-81.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

2.9

357.93%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Neum: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $261 in Neum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Neum pays 434% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $42.00 in Neum. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $220, with Neum cheaper for home cooking.

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 Neum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Neum differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $954 including rent). Neum is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Neum earns 434% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $261 in Neum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Neum runs roughly 332% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $203 in Neum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $954 in Neum versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Neum but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Neum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Neum 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 Neum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.