Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Paulinia Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Paulinia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $952 in Paulinia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,534 in Paulinia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,117 in Paulinia.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 44% more expensive than in Paulinia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Paulinia is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$8.36 R$43.00

-58.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.0K

$34.42 R$177

5.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$8.51 R$43.76

-32.90%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.50 R$12.86

6.80%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.34 R$6.90

30.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.97 R$4.98

-10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$2.29 R$11.77

28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.1K

$3.64 R$18.69

24.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.07 R$5.50

51.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.79 R$9.22

30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.34 R$6.90

-17.16%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.55 R$13.13

-13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.8K

$11.65 R$59.9

51.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.62 R$23.78

-11.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$10.25 R$52.7

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.7K

$2.09 R$10.75

77.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.42 R$7.31

11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.48 R$7.60

54.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.60 R$8.23

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.24 R$6.39

54.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.22 R$6.28

90.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.97 R$5.00

4.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,788

$0.82 R$4.22

-32.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$2.48 R$12.75

-10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.2K

$7.85 R$40.39

193.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.50 R$7.70

61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.45 R$12.60

22.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$1.00 R$5.12

-73.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.3K

$44.82 R$230

-79.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,580

$1.14 R$5.84

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,691

$0.70 R$3.58

-38.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$8.36 R$42.98

-32.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.24 R$6.39

-35.48%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.4M

$23.4K R$120.2K

6.73%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.4M

$32.9K R$169.0K

-3.51%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$103 R$530

-20.97%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$15.51 R$79.8

-58.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.9K

$22.35 R$115

-16.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$38.41 R$198

48.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.2K

$26.46 R$136

-29.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$8.86 R$45.54

-48.76%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$395 R$2,030

21.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$9,871 R$50.8K

-42.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.3K

$53.4 R$275

-14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.4K

$49.20 R$253

-27.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$95.4 R$490

-15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$69.2 R$356

13.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$336 R$1,729

231.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$229 R$1,178

204.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$661 R$3,399

450.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$458 R$2,356

279.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,620 R$8,328

71.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,130 R$5,812

102.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

14.83%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Paulinia: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $336 in Paulinia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Paulinia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $214 per month, with Paulinia cheaper across the board.

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 Paulinia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Paulinia differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $952 including rent). Paulinia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $1,428 in Paulinia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $336 in Paulinia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Paulinia – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $952 in Paulinia – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $952 in Paulinia versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Paulinia but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Paulinia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Paulinia 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 Paulinia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.