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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $934 in Ruse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,460 in Ruse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,986 in Ruse.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 51% more expensive than in Ruse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ruse is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$10.57 BGN 17.59

-67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$36.00 BGN 59.9

-10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$7.79 BGN 12.96

-37.87%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.69 BGN 2.81

62.72%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.48 BGN 2.46

-6.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.86 BGN 1.43

-12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.74 BGN 2.89

71.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.92 BGN 4.85

31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.73 BGN 2.88

0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.01 BGN 1.69

143.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.05 BGN 3.41

-42.93%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.74 BGN 4.57

-11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.29 BGN 15.45

56.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.82 BGN 13.01

-44.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$13.06 BGN 21.73

-8.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.38 BGN 2.30

169.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.83 BGN 3.05

-10.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.99 BGN 3.31

37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.00 BGN 3.33

12.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.12 BGN 1.86

71.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.05 BGN 1.75

117.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.22 BGN 2.03

-13.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.72 BGN 1.20

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.64 BGN 6.06

-9.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.92 BGN 9.84

291.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.10 BGN 1.83

152.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.20 BGN 1.99

127.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.86 BGN 1.43

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$16.42 BGN 27.32

-50.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.45 BGN 2.41

-66.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.61 BGN 1.02

-31.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$10.39 BGN 17.29

-40.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.49 BGN 2.48

-45.64%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$32.2K BGN 53.6K

-17.47%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$29.4K BGN 48.9K

9.51%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$98.8 BGN 164

-20.73%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$17.33 BGN 28.84

-76.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$14.87 BGN 24.74

63.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$32.05 BGN 53.3

207.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$8.82 BGN 14.67

-28.12%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$5.83 BGN 9.70

-31.56%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$634 BGN 1,055

-51.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$9,285 BGN 15.4K

-28.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$52.8 BGN 87.8

2.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$29.20 BGN 48.58

29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$75.0 BGN 125

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$89.8 BGN 149

-14.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$294 BGN 488

237.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$241 BGN 401

179.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$531 BGN 883

535.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$403 BGN 671

408.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,594 BGN 2,651

75.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,157 BGN 1,925

92.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$983 BGN 1,635

-83.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.1

328.39%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ruse: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $294 in Ruse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruse pays 489% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in Ruse. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $227, with Ruse cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ruse: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ruse wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ruse the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 489% lower in Ruse. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $294 in Ruse. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ruse runs roughly 102% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $634 in Ruse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $934 in Ruse versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ruse but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ruse the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ruse delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $934 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ruse hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ruse 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 Ruse gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.