Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Palm Desert, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $3,421 in Palm Desert, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
165

Cost of Living Index in Palm Desert, CA
Learn more

Palm Desert, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Palm Desert, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,421

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Palm Desert, CA

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 Palm Desert, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,421 in Palm Desert, CA.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Palm Desert, CA $3,421

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,743 in Palm Desert, CA.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Palm Desert, CA $4,743

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $6,064 in Palm Desert, CA.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Palm Desert, CA $6,064

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 61% less than in Palm Desert, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$26.24 $26.24

-87.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$74.3 $74.3

-52.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$11.36 $11.36

-51.32%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$5.34 $5.34

-49.06%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$3.43 $3.43

-50.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$2.77 $2.77

-72.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$7.95 $7.95

-66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$9.93 $9.93

-55.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.28 $1.28

16.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$4.74 $4.74

-51.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$4.54 $4.54

-73.79%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$5.39 $5.39

-62.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$14.05 $14.05

25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$15.92 $15.92

-75.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$19.22 $19.22

-36.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$5.07 $5.07

-27.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$2.24 $2.24

-32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$4.86 $4.86

-54.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.37 $5.37

-63.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$4.51 $4.51

-58.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$4.23 $4.23

-42.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.17 $2.17

-54.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$2.45 $2.45

-79.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$11.82 $11.82

-81.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$15.13 $15.13

46.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.65 $1.65

36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.79 $2.79

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$3.08 $3.08

-85.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$1.88 $1.88

-77.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$24.28 $24.28

-77.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.39 $1.39

-41.01%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$29.7K $29.7K

-19.64%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$25.6K $25.6K

23.94%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$243 $243

-67.51%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$77.5 $77.5

-91.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$66.2 $66.2

-71.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$13.09 $13.09

-67.38%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$542 $542

-9.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$8,375 $8,375

-32.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$50.1 $50.1

-10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$35.18 $35.18

-0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.9 $72.9

9.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$140 $140

-43.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$2,498 $2,498

-54.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$2,000 $2,000

-66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$3,197 $3,197

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$2,967 $2,967

-41.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,362 $4,362

-96.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.68

106.29%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Palm Desert, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Palm Desert, CA

$2K 58.5% 198% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Palm Desert, CA

$469 13.7% 62.5% $180

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Palm Desert, CA

$393 11.5% 265% $285

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Palm Desert, CA

$134 3.9% 25% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Palm Desert, CA

$387 11.3% 272% $283

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Palm Desert, CA

$26 * 0.8% 54.9% $32

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Palm Desert, CA

$12 * 0.4% 9.4% $1.1

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 $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $2,498 in Palm Desert, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palm Desert, CA pays about 27 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $74 in Palm Desert, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $469 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Palm Desert, CA

🕒 Local time

18:08 6:08 PM

02:08 2:08 AM

16 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

51,163

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Palm Desert, CA 14,050 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Palm Desert, CA

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 Palm Desert, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Palm Desert, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,498 in Palm Desert, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $542 in Palm Desert, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $74 in Palm Desert, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Palm Desert, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Palm Desert, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.