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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,189 in Paks.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,788 in Paks.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,387 in Paks.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 15% more expensive than in Paks, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Paks is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$8.82 Ft 2,806

-61.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$31.35 Ft 9,975

15.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$7.50 Ft 2,386

-23.87%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$0.89 Ft 283

200.00%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.21 Ft 384

44.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.82 Ft 262

6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.23 Ft 393

139.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.92 Ft 610

135.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.20 Ft 381

35.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.67 Ft 212

247.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$2.52 Ft 803

-55.95%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.29 Ft 1,047

-33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$11.37 Ft 3,616

55.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.26 Ft 1,991

-34.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$13.71 Ft 4,362

-11.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.87 Ft 595

98.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$2.12 Ft 673

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.21 Ft 704

3.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$4.00 Ft 1,273

-51.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.55 Ft 175

247.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.55 Ft 175

323.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.62 Ft 517

-37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.49 Ft 154

12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$8.08 Ft 2,572

-72.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$6.21 Ft 1,976

271.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.30 Ft 414

86.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.68 Ft 535

78.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.24 Ft 393

-78.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$31.24 Ft 9,937

-71.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.22 Ft 1,023

-85.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$1.60 Ft 508

-73.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$18.95 Ft 6,027

-70.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.93 Ft 613

-58.55%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$33.7K Ft 10.7M

-25.91%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$36.8K Ft 11.7M

-13.85%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$138 Ft 43.7K

-40.76%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$10.95 Ft 3,483

-40.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$12.42 Ft 3,952

51.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$51.4 Ft 16.4K

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$17.69 Ft 5,629

5.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$7.99 Ft 2,543

-43.18%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$506 Ft 161.0K

-5.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$8,312 Ft 2.6M

-31.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$91.3 Ft 29.0K

-50.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$14.42 Ft 4,589

148.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$103 Ft 32.7K

-21.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$113 Ft 35.8K

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$530 Ft 168.7K

110.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$407 Ft 129.5K

71.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$776 Ft 246.9K

368.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$664 Ft 211.1K

161.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$3,113 Ft 990.3K

-10.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$2,729 Ft 868.2K

-16.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,330 Ft 423.2K

-87.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.25

67.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Paks: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $530 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: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Paks for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $237 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 15% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,189 including rent). Paks is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 692% lower in Paks. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $530 in Paks. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $31.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,189 in Paks versus $1,368 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 15% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.