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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,223 in Otsu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,920 in Otsu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,617 in Otsu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 15% more expensive than in Otsu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Otsu is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$8.50 ¥1,382

-59.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$34.39 ¥5,587

-5.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.47 ¥888

-11.52%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.01 ¥490

-8.64%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.91 ¥149

51.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.72 ¥117

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$3.45 ¥560

-13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.20 ¥520

20.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.69 ¥275

2.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.71 ¥278

43.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$3.10 ¥503

-62.26%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.34 ¥379

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.56 ¥1,554

51.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.71 ¥1,253

-43.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$15.61 ¥2,537

-23.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$5.46 ¥887

-31.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.60 ¥422

-37.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$4.83 ¥785

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.94 ¥641

-43.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.60 ¥260

20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$2.37 ¥385

-3.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.31 ¥212

-19.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.01 ¥164

-28.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.06 ¥660

-18.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$9.06 ¥1,472

155.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.80 ¥292

54.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.40 ¥390

13.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.59 ¥258

-83.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$54.9 ¥8,916

-85.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.44 ¥559

-86.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$2.93 ¥475

-85.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$17.07 ¥2,773

-63.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.19 ¥194

-31.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$22.8K ¥3.7M

16.59%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$17.1K ¥2.8M

88.24%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$110 ¥17.9K

-28.82%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$26.63 ¥4,326

-84.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$33.78 ¥5,488

-27.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$54.9 ¥8,916

79.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$13.64 ¥2,216

-53.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$12.54 ¥2,037

-68.18%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$374 ¥60.7K

-18.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$7,474 ¥1.2M

-11.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$45.41 ¥7,378

19.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$31.67 ¥5,146

19.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$56.1 ¥9,119

54.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$92.5 ¥15.0K

-17.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$468 ¥76.1K

111.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$323 ¥52.5K

108.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$856 ¥139.1K

294.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$669 ¥108.8K

206.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$4,318 ¥701.6K

-35.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,079 ¥337.7K

7.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,769 ¥287.5K

-90.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

1.78

646.07%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Otsu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $468 in Otsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Otsu pays 960% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Otsu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $311 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Otsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Otsu wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Otsu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 960% lower in Otsu. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $468 in Otsu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $374 in Otsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,223 in Otsu versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Otsu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Otsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Otsu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Otsu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Otsu 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 Otsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.