Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Palembang

For one person, living is cheaper in Palembang: $615 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
30

Cost of Living Index in Palembang
Learn more

Palembang Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Palembang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$615

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $615 in Palembang.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Palembang $615

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $980 in Palembang.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Palembang $980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,344 in Palembang.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Palembang $1,344

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 122% more expensive than in Palembang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Palembang is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$1.14 Rp 20.4K

192.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$16.00 Rp 287.9K

119.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

105.67%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.29 Rp 23.1K

111.63%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

95.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.25 Rp 4,503

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

58.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$3.27 Rp 58.9K

31.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.12 Rp 20.1K

33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

43.90%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$1.22 Rp 22.0K

75.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$7.24 Rp 130.4K

141.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$2.99 Rp 53.9K

34.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$7.44 Rp 133.9K

64.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

58.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

41.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.47 Rp 26.5K

52.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

40.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.17 Rp 21.1K

60.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.95 Rp 35.0K

17.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.65 Rp 11.7K

52.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.44 Rp 7,856

20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$2.21 Rp 39.8K

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$21.49 Rp 386.7K

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$2.94 Rp 52.9K

-1.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.44 Rp 7,878

-45.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.53 Rp 9,526

-9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.40 Rp 7,284

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$2.84 Rp 51.2K

91.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

7.32%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$23.2K Rp 417.8M

5.85%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$31.6K Rp 568.7M

-1.29%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$71.6 Rp 1.3M

15.98%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$4.39 Rp 79.0K

46.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$19.20 Rp 345.5K

-3.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$19.72 Rp 355.0K

183.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$7.99 Rp 143.8K

126.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

53.68%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$90.1 Rp 1.6M

447.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$8,423 Rp 151.6M

-31.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$42.78 Rp 770.0K

7.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$28.77 Rp 517.8K

22.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$74.6 Rp 1.3M

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$69.3 Rp 1.2M

13.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$230 Rp 4.1M

396.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$147 Rp 2.6M

359.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$532 Rp 9.6M

558.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$361 Rp 6.5M

370.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$1,254 Rp 22.6M

122.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$886 Rp 15.9M

152.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$309 Rp 5.6M

-46.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.46

45.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palembang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Palembang

$147 23.9% 78.2% $528

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Palembang

$194 31.5% 33.2% $96

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Palembang

$52 8.5% 51.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Palembang

$95 15.5% 11.9% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Palembang

$97 15.8% 9.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Palembang

$25 4.1% 60.6% $39

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Palembang

$4.3 * 0.7% 65.7% $8.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $230 in Palembang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palembang pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Palembang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $194 per month, with Palembang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Palembang

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

1,708,413

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Palembang 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Palembang

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 Palembang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palembang is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 122% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Palembang. 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: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $230 in Palembang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $90.1 in Palembang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palembang – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $615 in Palembang versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Palembang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Palembang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Palembang is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Palembang 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 Palembang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.