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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $947 in Roman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,553 in Roman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,158 in Roman.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Roman is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$12.12 RON 55.5

-71.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

$35.46 RON 162

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$7.93 RON 36.30

-27.99%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.85 RON 13.05

-6.32%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.48 RON 6.78

18.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$1.13 RON 5.19

-23.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$3.30 RON 15.10

-10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.38 RON 10.92

89.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.59 RON 7.26

1.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.92 RON 4.21

153.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.50 RON 6.87

-26.00%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.93 RON 13.42

-24.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$9.26 RON 42.44

91.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$6.76 RON 30.97

-39.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$9.76 RON 44.71

24.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.09 RON 5.00

240.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.59 RON 7.26

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.49 RON 6.83

53.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$2.26 RON 10.34

-13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$0.78 RON 3.56

144.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.86 RON 3.95

170.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.91 RON 4.17

10.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$0.84 RON 3.86

-34.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$5.65 RON 25.90

-60.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$6.74 RON 30.90

242.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.19 RON 5.46

103.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$1.72 RON 7.90

74.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

$0.80 RON 3.69

-66.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$23.11 RON 106

-61.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$0.63 RON 2.88

-23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$0.69 RON 3.17

-37.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$6.94 RON 31.79

-18.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.85 RON 8.45

-56.76%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$30.2K RON 138.2K

-17.34%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$27.5K RON 126.0K

15.28%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$186 RON 851

-56.13%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$7.27 RON 33.30

-10.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$8.83 RON 40.44

112.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$39.94 RON 183

42.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

$21.48 RON 98.4

-12.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$9.77 RON 44.77

-53.53%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$309 RON 1,416

55.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$7,275 RON 33.3K

-21.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$55.5 RON 254

-18.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$27.21 RON 125

31.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$79.4 RON 364

1.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$61.3 RON 281

28.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$225 RON 1,032

394.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$168 RON 772

314.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$642 RON 2,941

466.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$462 RON 2,116

276.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,940 RON 8,889

43.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,381 RON 6,327

65.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$866 RON 3,967

-80.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.2

91.39%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Roman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $225 in Roman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roman pays 415% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $35.00 in Roman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $207 per month, with Roman 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 Roman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roman is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 415% lower in Roman. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $225 in Roman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Roman – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $947 in Roman versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roman but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Roman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roman is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Roman 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 Roman 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.