Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ninh Binh Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ninh Binh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $718 in Ninh Binh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,161 in Ninh Binh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,604 in Ninh Binh.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 98% more expensive than Ninh Binh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Ninh Binh is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$1.96 ₫51.6K

81.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$20.88 ₫549.1K

56.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.50 ₫118.2K

10.00%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.77 ₫46.6K

53.11%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.51 ₫13.5K

162.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.30 ₫7,916

133.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.00 ₫26.3K

192.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$1.59 ₫41.7K

149.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.38 ₫36.3K

31.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.02 ₫26.7K

147.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.99 ₫26.1K

17.17%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.43 ₫37.5K

72.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$11.73 ₫308.4K

25.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$3.77 ₫99.0K

14.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.66 ₫253.9K

25.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.75 ₫72.4K

39.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.02 ₫26.7K

52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.29 ₫33.9K

119.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.12 ₫29.5K

108.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.02 ₫26.9K

87.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.05 ₫27.6K

109.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.64 ₫16.9K

57.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.48 ₫12.5K

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$1.33 ₫34.9K

149.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$11.19 ₫294.2K

112.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.74 ₫19.5K

277.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.66 ₫43.7K

72.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.32 ₫8,302

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$6.48 ₫170.4K

23.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.67 ₫17.6K

-31.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.62 ₫16.4K

-27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$2.84 ₫74.8K

114.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.91 ₫23.9K

-13.19%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$34.5K ₫907.6M

-24.25%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$31.9K ₫839.7M

0.56%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.6 ₫2.0M

7.20%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$5.98 ₫157.3K

-32.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$8.47 ₫222.7K

177.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$21.92 ₫576.3K

350.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$7.60 ₫199.7K

-12.76%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.11 ₫81.8K

33.44%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$264 ₫6.9M

15.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$11.4K ₫300.5M

-42.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$40.38 ₫1.1M

37.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$22.89 ₫601.9K

67.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$85.3 ₫2.2M

3.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$73.5 ₫1.9M

5.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$364 ₫9.6M

176.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$252 ₫6.6M

167.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$737 ₫19.4M

366.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$544 ₫14.3M

274.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$2,075 ₫54.5M

36.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,229 ₫32.3M

84.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.1

45.93%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ninh Binh: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $364 in Ninh Binh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Ninh Binh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $190 per month, with Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ninh Binh is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 98% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,078 in Ninh Binh to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $364 in Ninh Binh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $264 in Ninh Binh. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $718 in Ninh Binh versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ninh Binh but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ninh Binh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh 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 Ninh Binh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.