Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nosara

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,835 in Nosara, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Nosara
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Nosara Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Nosara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,835

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,835 in Nosara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Nosara $1,835

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,825 in Nosara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Nosara $2,825

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,814 in Nosara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Nosara $3,814

Ubud, Bali is about 26% cheaper than Nosara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Nosara sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 0%, Nosara by 35%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$12.34 ₡5,535

-73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-43.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$7.76 ₡3,481

-26.55%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$4.44 ₡1,992

-40.99%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.79 ₡803

-3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.29 ₡580

-37.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$3.24 ₡1,451

-18.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.43 ₡1,985

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.55 ₡696

1.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$3.08 ₡1,380

-28.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$2.53 ₡1,133

-53.36%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$3.45 ₡1,546

-37.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$7.32 ₡3,284

141.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$10.24 ₡4,594

-63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$14.10 ₡6,326

-15.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.29 ₡1,027

57.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.64 ₡737

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$4.79 ₡2,149

-51.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.64 ₡735

16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$3.85 ₡1,727

-53.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$3.75 ₡1,681

-37.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.09 ₡488

-8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$2.59 ₡1,160

-79.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$5.12 ₡2,295

-55.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$19.92 ₡8,931

10.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$2.80 ₡1,255

-16.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$3.52 ₡1,580

-15.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.22 ₡549

-81.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$73.9 ₡33.1K

-87.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$2.17 ₡973

-78.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$1.56 ₡698

-72.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$8.67 ₡3,886

-36.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.55 ₡697

-46.45%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-30.89%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$38.7K ₡17.4M

-15.39%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$94.8 ₡42.5K

-15.64%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$36.15 ₡16.2K

-81.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$53.1 ₡23.8K

-64.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-26.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$35.63 ₡16.0K

-48.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$7.91 ₡3,548

-46.27%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$490 ₡219.9K

0.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$11.9K ₡5.3M

-52.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$54.8 ₡24.6K

-16.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$55.9 ₡25.1K

-37.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$80.4 ₡36.0K

-3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$77.9 ₡34.9K

0.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$801 ₡359.1K

41.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$790 ₡354.1K

-14.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$4,005 ₡1.8M

-9.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$1,409 ₡632.0K

20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$7,064 ₡3.2M

-61.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,236 ₡554.3K

81.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$887 ₡397.6K

-81.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.62

59.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nosara: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Nosara

$790 43% 17.3% $117

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Nosara

$350 19.1% 21.8% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Nosara

$121 6.6% 13.6% $14

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Nosara

$213 11.6% 99.8% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Nosara

$184 10% 75% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Nosara

$90 4.9% 43.1% $27

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Nosara

$89 4.8% 614% $76

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $801 in Nosara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 433% higher in Nosara, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $61.0 in Nosara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $350 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇷 Nosara

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

02:36 2:36 AM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

4,912

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Nosara 17,710 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Nosara

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 Nosara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, $1,835 in Nosara – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,753 in Nosara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 730% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $490 in Nosara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Nosara at $1,835. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nosara it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Nosara has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,353 in Ubud, Bali to $1,835 in Nosara. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nosara makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.