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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $677 in Padang.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,039 in Padang.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,401 in Padang.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 112% more expensive than Padang, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Padang is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

127.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$12.46 Rp 216.0K

161.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.30 Rp 57.1K

53.64%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.73 Rp 30.0K

63.58%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.54 Rp 9,428

148.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.28 Rp 4,875

146.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.44 Rp 42.2K

22.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.59 Rp 62.3K

7.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.21 Rp 21.0K

43.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.13 Rp 19.6K

124.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.90 Rp 15.6K

32.22%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.59 Rp 27.6K

52.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.06 Rp 139.7K

81.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.20 Rp 55.4K

30.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.82 Rp 135.5K

52.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.39 Rp 41.5K

54.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.49 Rp 25.8K

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.81 Rp 31.4K

48.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.57 Rp 27.2K

48.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.33 Rp 23.0K

43.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.94 Rp 33.6K

12.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.97 Rp 16.8K

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.41 Rp 7,095

75.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.56 Rp 44.4K

22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$25.62 Rp 444.0K

-8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.02 Rp 35.0K

35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$3.24 Rp 56.2K

-11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.29 Rp 5,108

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$9.63 Rp 166.9K

-15.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.58 Rp 9,975

-22.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.38 Rp 6,501

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$2.86 Rp 49.5K

115.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.78 Rp 13.5K

7.69%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$24.9K Rp 431.8M

5.35%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$27.2K Rp 472.1M

19.24%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$70.0 Rp 1.2M

12.01%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.39 Rp 76.0K

-10.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$23.09 Rp 400.1K

5.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$22.59 Rp 391.6K

327.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$6.00 Rp 104.0K

5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.16 Rp 54.8K

27.85%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$93.1 Rp 1.6M

225.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$7,495 Rp 129.9M

-12.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$41.51 Rp 719.4K

29.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$31.12 Rp 539.4K

22.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$66.5 Rp 1.2M

30.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$75.3 Rp 1.3M

4.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$253 Rp 4.4M

299.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$157 Rp 2.7M

330.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$597 Rp 10.3M

468.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$328 Rp 5.7M

540.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,127 Rp 19.5M

164.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$780 Rp 13.5M

200.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$177 Rp 3.1M

-2.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.15

45.14%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Padang: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $253 in Padang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Padang pays 2% 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 $12.00 in Padang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $218 per month, with Padang 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 Padang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Padang wins on cost – living expenses run 112% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Padang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Padang earns 2% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $253 in Padang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Padang runs roughly 18% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $93.1 in Padang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $677 in Padang versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Padang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Padang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Padang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $677 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Padang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Padang 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 Padang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 112% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.