Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Pale

For one person, living is cheaper in Pale: $975 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Pale
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Pale Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Pale

🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $975 in Pale, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Pale $975

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,472 in Pale, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Pale $1,472

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,970 in Pale, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Pale $1,970

Ubud, Bali costs about 39% more than Pale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Pale is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$8.48 BAM 14.74

-61.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$40.49 BAM 70.4

-13.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$8.43 BAM 14.66

-32.38%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.76 BAM 3.07

48.86%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$2.22 BAM 3.86

-22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.41 BAM 2.45

-42.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.50 BAM 4.34

6.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.79 BAM 4.85

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.43 BAM 2.49

9.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.16 BAM 2.01

88.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.62 BAM 2.82

-27.16%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.84 BAM 4.94

-23.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$9.56 BAM 16.62

84.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$7.89 BAM 13.72

-52.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$14.15 BAM 24.60

-15.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$1.41 BAM 2.45

155.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.92 BAM 3.33

-17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.16 BAM 3.76

6.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.01 BAM 3.49

-4.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.01 BAM 1.76

76.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.41 BAM 2.45

65.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.18 BAM 2.05

-15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.91 BAM 1.58

-41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$3.87 BAM 6.72

-40.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$7.45 BAM 12.95

196.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$0.97 BAM 1.68

142.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.53 BAM 2.66

94.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.27 BAM 2.21

-81.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$17.41 BAM 30.28

-48.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.67 BAM 2.91

-71.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$1.17 BAM 2.04

-63.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$14.39 BAM 25.03

-61.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.65 BAM 2.86

-49.70%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$29.7K BAM 51.6K

-19.51%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$22.9K BAM 39.9K

42.99%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$170 BAM 295

-52.90%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$16.16 BAM 28.10

-59.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$27.63 BAM 48.04

-32.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$22.73 BAM 39.53

138.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$8.79 BAM 15.28

107.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.65 BAM 9.83

-24.78%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$206 BAM 359

138.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$3,526 BAM 6,131

58.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$83.5 BAM 145

-45.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$35.73 BAM 62.1

-2.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$98.6 BAM 172

-21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$122 BAM 211

-35.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$198 BAM 345

470.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$162 BAM 281

316.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$275 BAM 479

1211.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$213 BAM 371

697.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,331 BAM 2,315

104.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,132 BAM 1,969

97.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$735 BAM 1,278

-77.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.08

237.75%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pale: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Pale

$162 16.6% 76% $511

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Pale

$236 24.2% 17.9% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Pale

$153 15.7% 43.3% $46

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Pale

$147 15.1% 38% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Pale

$214 21.9% 103% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Pale

$34 3.5% 45.6% $29

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Pale

$30 3.1% 142% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in Pale. 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 342% higher in Pale, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $40.00 in Pale. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Ubud, Bali vs $236 in Pale – so Pale wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇧🇦 Pale

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

20:36 8:36 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

12,569

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark BAM KM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 BAM = 0.575 USD

1 BAM = 0.512 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BAM, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Bosnia and Herzegovina Convertible Mark exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BAM (1 BAM = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.95 BAM (1 BAM = 0.512 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Pale 11,200 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Pale

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 Pale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,462 in Pale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $40.00 in Pale. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $975 in Pale. That's a gap of about 39%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pale, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Pale it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pale – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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