Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Papeete

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,321 in Papeete, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Papeete
🇵🇫 French Polynesia
$2,321
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,348 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,321 in Papeete, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,348
  • Papeete $2,321

A couple spends around $2,312 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,432 in Papeete, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,312
  • Papeete $3,432

A family of three spends $3,276 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,544 in Papeete, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,276
  • Papeete $4,544

Ubud, Bali is about 42% cheaper than Papeete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Papeete sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Papeete by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$18.62 CFPF 1,983
-82.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.42 Rp 633.1K
$93.1 CFPF 9,917
-61.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 Rp 102.9K
$14.59 CFPF 1,554
-60.52%
Cappuccino
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
$3.32 CFPF 354
-20.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
$2.71 CFPF 289
-35.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$3.37 CFPF 359
-77.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$3.34 CFPF 356
-18.86%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 Rp 80.8K
$3.87 CFPF 412
16.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
$1.43 CFPF 152
6.99%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 Rp 39.2K
$2.74 CFPF 291
-19.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
$1.65 CFPF 176
-26.06%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$6.42 CFPF 684
-66.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.73 Rp 316.9K
$27.71 CFPF 2,951
-36.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 68.9K
$15.09 CFPF 1,607
-74.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 Rp 215.0K
$26.13 CFPF 2,783
-53.96%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 Rp 64.5K
$4.82 CFPF 513
-25.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$2.54 CFPF 270
-40.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.4K
$6.64 CFPF 707
-65.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
$7.90 CFPF 841
-74.68%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
$2.64 CFPF 282
-31.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$2.21 CFPF 236
8.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$3.76 CFPF 401
-73.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,373
$1.11 CFPF 118
-53.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
$12.92 CFPF 1,376
-83.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.98 Rp 410.7K
$20.89 CFPF 2,225
10.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 Rp 42.8K
$2.80 CFPF 298
-14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
$3.19 CFPF 339
-5.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,255
$1.92 CFPF 205
-87.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.99 Rp 125.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,876
$9.22 CFPF 982
-95.23%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,582
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.4K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$1.47 CFPF 156
-42.86%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 434.8M
$18.6K CFPF 2.0M
30.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 570.0M
$28.4K CFPF 3.0M
12.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
$184 CFPF 19.6K
-56.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.58 Rp 117.6K
$19.80 CFPF 2,109
-66.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.24 Rp 326.1K
$69.0 CFPF 7,344
-73.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 Rp 985.4K
$84.2 CFPF 8,967
-34.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.51 Rp 330.9K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
$14.24 CFPF 1,517
-70.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$486 Rp 8.7M
$467 CFPF 49.7K
3.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
$9,465 CFPF 1.0M
-40.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.18 Rp 807.6K
$69.4 CFPF 7,388
-34.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.57 Rp 617.9K
$72.9 CFPF 7,763
-52.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
$77.8 CFPF 8,290
1.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
$88.4 CFPF 9,410
-12.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 Rp 20.1M
$1,342 CFPF 142.9K
-16.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 12.1M
$936 CFPF 99.7K
-28.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
$1,834 CFPF 195.4K
97.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
$1,492 CFPF 158.9K
16.28%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
$7,135 CFPF 759.9K
-60.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,307 Rp 41.2M
$7,632 CFPF 812.9K
-69.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Papeete
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$2,195 CFPF 233.8K
-92.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.5
206.22%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Papeete: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$674
Papeete
$936 38.9% $262
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Papeete
$519 78.9% $229
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Papeete
$281 160% $173
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Papeete
$139 30.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$106
Papeete
$273 158% $167
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$64
Papeete
$113 77.1% $49
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Papeete
$17 * 61% $6.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,342 in Papeete. 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 1225% higher in Papeete, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $93.0 in Papeete. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $519 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇫 Papeete
🕒 Local time
18:33 6:33 PM
00:33 12:33 AM
18 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
26,050 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Papeete 10,270 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Papeete

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 Papeete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Papeete cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Papeete is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,022 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,481 in Papeete. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Papeete?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,348 in Ubud, Bali and $2,321 in Papeete. That's a gap of about 72%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $486 per month in Ubud, Bali and $467 in Papeete. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Papeete?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,348, than in Papeete at $2,321. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Papeete it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Papeete more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Papeete?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Papeete makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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