Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Pasadena, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $3,658 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Pasadena, CA, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Pasadena, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,658
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,658 in Pasadena, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Pasadena, CA $3,658

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,156 in Pasadena, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Pasadena, CA $5,156

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $6,654 in Pasadena, CA, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Pasadena, CA $6,654

Ubud, Bali is about 64% cheaper than Pasadena, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ubud, Bali sits 2% below the global median, while Pasadena, CA is 171% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$18.13 $18.13
-81.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 629.1K
$76.3 $76.3
-54.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.2K
$10.04 $10.04
-44.52%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.6K
$4.77 $4.77
-45.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.87 $2.87
-46.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$1.56 $1.56
-58.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$4.99 $4.99
-46.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.4K
$5.87 $5.87
-27.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$1.36 $1.36
7.35%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$3.82 $3.82
-40.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$2.95 $2.95
-62.37%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$5.21 $5.21
-59.69%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.4K
$13.58 $13.58
17.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.5K
$13.64 $13.64
-71.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 207.0K
$12.26 $12.26
-7.01%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.5K
$4.50 $4.50
-21.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$2.23 $2.23
-30.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$4.36 $4.36
-48.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$4.99 $4.99
-60.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$4.56 $4.56
-59.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$2.49 $2.49
-2.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$1.93 $1.93
-47.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,483
$2.16 $2.16
-75.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$11.92 $11.92
-81.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.6K
$10.92 $10.92
99.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$1.62 $1.62
43.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$1.87 $1.87
58.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,546
$1.78 $1.78
-85.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.4K
$52.6 $52.6
-84.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,947
$4.07 $4.07
-89.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,496
$7.34 $7.34
-93.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.7K
$23.65 $23.65
-76.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.60 $1.60
-48.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.8M
$27.7K $27.7K
-11.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.5M
$26.0K $26.0K
22.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$251 $251
-69.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.6K
$62.2 $62.2
-90.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.4K
$64.4 $64.4
-70.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.8K
$24.77 $24.77
105.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.3K
$34.75 $34.75
-47.48%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$12.15 $12.15
-63.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$3,827 $3,827
-87.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.9M
$40.5K $40.5K
-69.85%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.9K
$30.86 $30.86
46.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 633.4K
$34.32 $34.32
1.66%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$73.1 $73.1
7.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$137 $137
-42.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.6M
$3,001 $3,001
-64.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$2,327 $2,327
-71.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$4,829 $4,829
-27.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$3,724 $3,724
-55.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.5M
$9,139 $9,139
-74.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
$8,980 $8,980
-75.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Pasadena, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$5,298 $5,298
-96.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.33
117.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pasadena, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Pasadena, CA
$2.3K 250% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Pasadena, CA
$394 41.1% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Pasadena, CA
$124 16.3% $17
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Pasadena, CA
$287 171% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Pasadena, CA
$377 268% $275
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Pasadena, CA
$49 17.9% $11
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Pasadena, CA
$100 741% $89

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,001 in Pasadena, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Pasadena, CA are about 32 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $76 in Pasadena, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $394 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA
🕒 Local time
05:42 5:42 AM
13:42 1:42 PM
16 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
137,122
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,438 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.89 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Pasadena, CA 13,880 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Pasadena, CA compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, $3,658 in Pasadena, CA – Ubud, Bali comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Pasadena, CA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $5,488 in Pasadena, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Pasadena, CA?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,078 there versus $3,001 in Pasadena, CA.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Pasadena, CA?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $3,658 in Pasadena, CA. That makes Ubud, Bali about 64% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Pasadena, CA?
Public transport costs about 84% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $3,658 in Pasadena, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Pasadena, CA?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,331 in Ubud, Bali to $3,658 in Pasadena, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Pasadena, CA?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Pasadena, CA 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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