Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sa Pa

For one person, living is cheaper in Sa Pa: $734 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Sa Pa
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Sa Pa Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Sa Pa

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$734

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Sa Pa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Sa Pa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $734 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Sa Pa $734

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,169 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Sa Pa $1,169

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,604 in Sa Pa, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Sa Pa $1,604

Ubud, Bali costs about 81% more than Sa Pa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Sa Pa are more affordable than the global median – Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Sa Pa 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

$1.89 ₫48.7K

78.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 629.1K

$21.13 ₫544.5K

63.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

$4.71 ₫121.4K

18.26%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.6K

$1.75 ₫45.2K

49.71%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$0.50 ₫13.0K

208.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.28 ₫7,202

128.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$1.00 ₫25.7K

167.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

$1.53 ₫39.3K

178.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.42 ₫36.5K

2.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$0.99 ₫25.5K

131.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$0.99 ₫25.5K

12.12%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$1.40 ₫36.1K

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.4K

$11.73 ₫302.2K

35.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

$3.73 ₫96.1K

4.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 207.0K

$9.90 ₫254.9K

15.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

$2.67 ₫68.8K

32.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.02 ₫26.3K

50.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$1.28 ₫33.0K

74.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.13 ₫29.0K

74.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$1.07 ₫27.5K

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$1.06 ₫27.3K

128.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$0.70 ₫18.1K

45.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,483

$0.52 ₫13.4K

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$1.31 ₫33.8K

67.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.6K

$11.35 ₫292.5K

91.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$0.80 ₫20.7K

191.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.63 ₫42.0K

82.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,546

$0.31 ₫8,109

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

$6.43 ₫165.6K

27.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,947

$0.66 ₫17.0K

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,496

$0.62 ₫15.9K

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.7K

$2.82 ₫72.7K

98.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.91 ₫23.4K

-8.79%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.8M

$34.5K ₫887.5M

-29.04%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.5M

$31.6K ₫813.0M

0.44%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$75.6 ₫1.9M

2.49%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.6K

$5.90 ₫151.9K

4.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.4K

$8.96 ₫230.7K

111.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.8K

$21.79 ₫561.3K

134.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.3K

$7.71 ₫198.7K

136.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$3.08 ₫79.4K

42.21%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$264 ₫6.8M

86.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.9M

$11.7K ₫302.1M

4.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.9K

$40.73 ₫1.0M

10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 633.4K

$23.04 ₫593.4K

51.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$85.1 ₫2.2M

-8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$75.3 ₫1.9M

3.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

$365 ₫9.4M

195.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$250 ₫6.4M

166.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$738 ₫19.0M

375.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$531 ₫13.7M

214.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

$2,073 ₫53.4M

12.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$1,246 ₫32.1M

79.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.1

51.43%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sa Pa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Sa Pa

$250 34.1% 62.4% $415

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Sa Pa

$192 26.1% 31.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Sa Pa

$101 13.8% 5.1% $5.4

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Sa Pa

$61 8.4% 41.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Sa Pa

$90 12.3% 11.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Sa Pa

$28 3.8% 53.2% $32

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Sa Pa

$11 1.6% 4.3% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $365 in Sa Pa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $21 in Sa Pa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $192 – making Sa Pa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇻🇳 Sa Pa

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

01:43 1:43 AM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

22,882

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,155 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,353 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 25,761 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,880 VND (100,000 VND = 3.46 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Sa Pa 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Sa Pa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sa Pa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 81%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,101 in Sa Pa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sa Pa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $365 there versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali and $21 in Sa Pa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sa Pa, where all-in costs run around $734, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,331. In Sa Pa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Sa Pa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 45% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.