Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,378 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,015 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,327 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,653 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,275 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,290 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Ubud, Bali costs about 36% more than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Phnom Penh is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$3.93 ៛15.9K

-15.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$39.70 ៛160.8K

-9.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$6.96 ៛28.2K

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.03 ៛12.3K

-6.93%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.86 ៛7,547

-5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.71 ៛2,855

12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.27 ៛5,141

139.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.93 ៛11.9K

46.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$2.19 ៛8,869

-26.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.66 ៛6,717

36.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.07 ៛4,327

9.35%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.73 ៛7,019

25.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$14.96 ៛60.6K

17.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.20 ៛17.0K

-3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$9.29 ៛37.6K

31.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$3.85 ៛15.6K

-5.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.76 ៛7,133

-6.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$4.28 ៛17.3K

-46.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$2.12 ៛8,572

-7.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.61 ៛6,503

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.21 ៛4,903

95.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.15 ៛4,641

-8.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.72 ៛2,917

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$1.87 ៛7,576

22.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.83 ៛43.9K

113.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.04 ៛4,204

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.76 ៛7,114

74.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.47 ៛1,892

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$9.35 ៛37.9K

0.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.14 ៛4,616

-57.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.99 ៛4,007

-52.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$5.19 ៛21.0K

7.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.33 ៛5,372

-39.10%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$34.8K ៛141.0M

-28.19%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$43.7K ៛177.0M

-28.93%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$108 ៛437.8K

-23.49%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$7.45 ៛30.2K

-12.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$24.59 ៛99.6K

-23.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$40.52 ៛164.1K

36.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$10.82 ៛43.8K

68.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.95 ៛20.0K

-13.13%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$655 ៛2.7M

-24.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$10.9K ៛44.1M

-45.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$27.87 ៛112.9K

66.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$23.78 ៛96.3K

53.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$91.8 ៛371.7K

-12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$59.9 ៛242.4K

31.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$630 ៛2.6M

76.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$364 ៛1.5M

90.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,156 ៛4.7M

214.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$819 ៛3.3M

109.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,860 ៛11.6M

-3.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,538 ៛6.2M

49.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$327 ៛1.3M

-48.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.07

70.76%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $630 in Phnom Penh. 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 95% higher in Phnom Penh, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $40.00 in Phnom Penh. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Ubud, Bali vs $252 in Phnom Penh – so Phnom Penh wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 36%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,067 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,523 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phnom Penh, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 17% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali and $40.00 in Phnom Penh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,015, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,378. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Phnom Penh. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.