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 $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $939 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,462 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,763 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,985 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Ubud, Bali costs about 50% more than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ubud, Bali sits 5% above the global median, while Phnom Penh is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$5.04 ៛20.3K

-31.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$29.66 ៛119.6K

9.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.97 ៛28.1K

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.61 ៛10.5K

5.36%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.03 ៛4,163

33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.98 ៛3,965

-23.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.48 ៛5,962

102.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.46 ៛9,919

56.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$2.06 ៛8,304

-15.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.47 ៛5,927

67.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.96 ៛3,885

21.87%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.78 ៛7,159

36.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$12.97 ៛52.3K

11.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.20 ៛16.9K

3.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$10.26 ៛41.4K

16.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$4.46 ៛18.0K

-16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.60 ៛6,433

1.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-27.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.48 ៛5,953

51.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.74 ៛7,002

10.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.21 ៛4,876

88.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.44 ៛5,817

-26.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.71 ៛2,879

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.03 ៛8,191

62.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$11.07 ៛44.6K

109.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.05 ៛4,250

164.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.63 ៛6,580

67.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.54 ៛6,217

-82.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$10.57 ៛42.6K

-23.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.02 ៛4,107

-52.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.97 ៛3,914

-56.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$4.62 ៛18.6K

34.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.12 ៛4,516

-27.68%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$49.3K ៛198.8M

-46.05%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$36.4K ៛146.6M

-11.51%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$104 ៛418.4K

-24.52%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$6.21 ៛25.0K

-34.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$23.75 ៛95.8K

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$46.45 ៛187.2K

112.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$14.53 ៛58.6K

-56.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$4.53 ៛18.3K

-11.92%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$379 ៛1.5M

-19.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$11.6K ៛46.8M

-42.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$22.08 ៛89.0K

145.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$22.04 ៛88.8K

71.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$90.9 ៛366.5K

-4.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$74.4 ៛299.8K

2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$505 ៛2.0M

96.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$276 ៛1.1M

143.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,038 ៛4.2M

225.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$551 ៛2.2M

271.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$2,910 ៛11.7M

-3.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,520 ៛6.1M

46.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$326 ៛1.3M

-48.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.3

28.93%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $505 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $30.00 in Phnom Penh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $244 – making Phnom Penh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 50%, 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 $2,112 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,408 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 22% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali and $30.00 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 $939, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,408. 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.