Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Paterson, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,779 in Paterson, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Paterson, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,779 in Paterson, NJ.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Paterson, NJ $2,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,169 in Paterson, NJ.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Paterson, NJ $4,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,560 in Paterson, NJ.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Paterson, NJ $5,560

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 51% less than in Paterson, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$18.82 $18.82

-82.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$79.3 $79.3

-55.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$14.25 $14.25

-61.19%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$6.36 $6.36

-57.23%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.90 $2.90

-41.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$3.03 $3.03

-74.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$7.98 $7.98

-66.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$7.14 $7.14

-38.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.31 $1.31

13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$4.55 $4.55

-49.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$6.00 $6.00

-80.17%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$6.13 $6.13

-66.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$14.17 $14.17

24.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$10.14 $10.14

-60.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$19.21 $19.21

-36.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$5.94 $5.94

-38.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$2.28 $2.28

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$4.23 $4.23

-47.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.36 $5.36

-63.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$3.03 $3.03

-38.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$3.10 $3.10

-21.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.94 $2.94

-66.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$2.71 $2.71

-81.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$14.90 $14.90

-85.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$15.20 $15.20

46.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.77 $1.77

27.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$3.51 $3.51

-15.38%

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

$3.02 $3.02

-85.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$2.11 $2.11

-79.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$42.53 $42.53

-87.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.10 $1.10

-25.45%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$27.6K $27.6K

-13.49%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$26.0K $26.0K

22.27%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$174 $174

-54.60%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$51.3 $51.3

-87.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$49.24 $49.24

-62.27%

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

$20.41 $20.41

-79.08%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$2,009 $2,009

-75.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$16.1K $16.1K

-64.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$49.90 $49.90

-10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$51.2 $51.2

-31.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$111 $111

-28.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$102 $102

-22.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$2,500 $2,500

-55.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$1,510 $1,510

-55.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$3,497 $3,497

1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$2,687 $2,687

-35.87%

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

$3,256 $3,256

-94.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.8

102.65%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Paterson, NJ: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54.3% 125% $838

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Paterson, NJ

$451 16.2% 56.3% $162

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Paterson, NJ

$348 12.5% 223% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Paterson, NJ

$141 5.1% 31.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Paterson, NJ

$275 9.9% 164% $171

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Paterson, NJ

$41 * 1.5% 29.7% $17

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 18.7% $2.1

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 $2,500 in Paterson, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Paterson, NJ pays about 20 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $79 in Paterson, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $451 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

13 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

147,000

💱 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

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Paterson, NJ 16,290 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Paterson, NJ

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 Paterson, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 95% 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 $2,500 in Paterson, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,009 in Paterson, NJ. 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 $79 in Paterson, NJ. 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.

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