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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,143 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,672 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,201 in Paks.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than Paks, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Paks is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$8.40 Ft 2,622

-57.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$28.60 Ft 8,925

13.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$7.03 Ft 2,193

-27.88%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$0.87 Ft 272

225.29%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.08 Ft 337

24.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.71 Ft 223

-2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.12 Ft 351

166.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$1.32 Ft 412

191.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.08 Ft 338

61.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.53 Ft 477

66.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.80 Ft 561

-33.89%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.86 Ft 892

-15.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$9.48 Ft 2,958

54.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$5.61 Ft 1,750

-25.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$11.22 Ft 3,501

6.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.03 Ft 634

81.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.97 Ft 613

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$2.12 Ft 660

26.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$4.21 Ft 1,315

-44.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.38 Ft 432

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.29 Ft 403

69.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.48 Ft 463

-28.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.53 Ft 166

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$7.41 Ft 2,313

-57.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$6.46 Ft 2,015

263.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.14 Ft 354

140.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.23 Ft 384

134.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.12 Ft 348

-74.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$25.08 Ft 7,825

-67.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.92 Ft 910

-84.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.26 Ft 394

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$17.33 Ft 5,406

-64.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.77 Ft 551

-52.54%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$32.2K Ft 10.0M

-18.49%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$36.8K Ft 11.5M

-11.76%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$145 Ft 45.3K

-46.00%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$29.97 Ft 9,352

-86.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$24.24 Ft 7,565

0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$46.58 Ft 14.5K

107.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$16.77 Ft 5,232

-62.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$7.86 Ft 2,453

-48.60%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$460 Ft 143.7K

-34.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$6,679 Ft 2.1M

-2.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$88.1 Ft 27.5K

-38.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$25.56 Ft 7,974

48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$94.7 Ft 29.6K

-8.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$108 Ft 33.6K

-26.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$442 Ft 137.8K

129.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$347 Ft 108.3K

94.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$623 Ft 194.4K

443.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$533 Ft 166.2K

293.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$3,198 Ft 997.7K

-6.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$2,436 Ft 759.9K

-3.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$1,370 Ft 427.6K

-87.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

66.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Paks: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $442 in Paks. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paks pays 692% 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 $29.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $227 per month, with Paks 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 Paks: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Paks differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $1,143 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Paks earns 692% 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 $442 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Paks – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,143 in Paks versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paks but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Paks 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 Paks 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 Paks gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.