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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $919 in Ruse.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,450 in Ruse.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,982 in Ruse.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 54% more expensive than Ruse, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Ruse is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$10.66 BGN 17.73

-66.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$35.69 BGN 59.4

-8.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$7.94 BGN 13.21

-37.66%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$1.68 BGN 2.79

61.31%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$1.50 BGN 2.49

-10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.84 BGN 1.40

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.81 BGN 3.00

61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.88 BGN 4.80

37.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.73 BGN 2.88

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$0.98 BGN 1.63

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$2.07 BGN 3.44

-43.96%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.73 BGN 4.54

-9.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$9.46 BGN 15.73

55.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$8.15 BGN 13.56

-46.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$12.98 BGN 21.59

-6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$1.45 BGN 2.41

164.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.89 BGN 3.15

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.93 BGN 3.21

46.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$2.07 BGN 3.45

12.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.15 BGN 1.92

66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.05 BGN 1.75

109.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$1.17 BGN 1.94

-13.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.68 BGN 1.13

14.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$3.60 BGN 5.98

-7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$5.98 BGN 9.95

296.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.04 BGN 1.73

168.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.17 BGN 1.94

144.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.92 BGN 1.53

-70.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$16.14 BGN 26.86

-50.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$1.44 BGN 2.40

-68.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.65 BGN 1.07

-30.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$10.24 BGN 17.03

-40.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.49 BGN 2.47

-46.98%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$32.1K BGN 53.4K

-18.52%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$28.6K BGN 47.6K

12.20%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$99.9 BGN 166

-19.95%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$17.56 BGN 29.22

-76.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$15.00 BGN 24.95

56.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$32.07 BGN 53.4

207.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$9.08 BGN 15.11

-26.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$5.99 BGN 9.96

-30.72%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$637 BGN 1,060

-52.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$9,043 BGN 15.0K

-26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$54.0 BGN 89.8

2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$29.70 BGN 49.41

28.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$73.7 BGN 123

20.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$86.8 BGN 144

-10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$290 BGN 482

247.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$238 BGN 396

184.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$531 BGN 883

548.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$414 BGN 688

392.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$1,651 BGN 2,746

72.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,186 BGN 1,973

90.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$977 BGN 1,626

-83.09%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ruse: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $290 in Ruse. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruse pays 491% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in Ruse. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $229, 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 54% 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, Ruse earns 491% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $290 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 101% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $637 in Ruse. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $919 in Ruse versus $1,419 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 $919 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 54% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.