Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sal

For one person, living is cheaper in Sal: $850 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sal
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Sal Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Sal

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Sal

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 Sal actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $850 in Sal, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Sal $850

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,313 in Sal, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Sal $1,313

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,777 in Sal, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Sal $1,777

Ubud, Bali costs about 61% more than Sal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Sal is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$5.51 CVE 540

-39.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$44.18 CVE 4,332

-20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$11.03 CVE 1,081

-47.42%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.32 CVE 227

17.67%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$2.54 CVE 249

-35.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.09 CVE 107

-23.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$4.61 CVE 452

-41.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$3.07 CVE 301

40.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.58 CVE 155

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$2.27 CVE 223

1.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.20 CVE 118

-1.67%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$2.79 CVE 273

-23.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$9.03 CVE 886

93.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$7.51 CVE 736

-46.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$15.99 CVE 1,568

-23.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$3.16 CVE 310

12.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$2.49 CVE 245

-36.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$3.33 CVE 326

-32.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$3.98 CVE 391

-51.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.64 CVE 161

14.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.85 CVE 182

23.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.55 CVE 152

-36.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$1.10 CVE 108

-51.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$4.57 CVE 448

-50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$6.40 CVE 628

259.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$4.03 CVE 395

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$1.88 CVE 184

54.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.99 CVE 96.6

-75.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$2.08 CVE 204

-76.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$3.08 CVE 302

-85.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$12.65 CVE 1,240

-56.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.38 CVE 135

-36.23%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$60.8 CVE 5,964

36.48%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$49.23 CVE 4,827

-62.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$27.47 CVE 2,694

103.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$115 CVE 11.2K

329.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$30.09 CVE 2,950

53.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$144 CVE 14.1K

-45.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$252 CVE 24.7K

353.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$168 CVE 16.5K

302.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$307 CVE 30.1K

1040.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$206 CVE 20.2K

723.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$654 CVE 64.1K

325.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$331 CVE 32.5K

576.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$257 CVE 25.2K

-35.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.25

162.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sal: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Sal

$168 19.8% 75.2% $508

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Sal

$296 34.8% 1.9% $5.4

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Sal

$149 17.5% 36.7% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Sal

$110 * 13% 1.9% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Sal

$78 * 9.2% 27.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Sal

$27 * 3.2% 57.5% $37

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Sal

$21 * 2.5% 70.8% $8.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $252 in Sal. 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 56% higher in Sal, 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $44.00 in Sal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $296 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇻 Sal

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

02:41 2:41 AM

9 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

1,288

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.2 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 98.05 CVE (100 CVE = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Sal 15,400 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Sal

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 Sal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, $850 in Sal – roughly 61% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,274 in Sal. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sal, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $44.00 in Sal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Ubud, Bali – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sal, where all-in costs run around $850, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Sal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $850 in Sal to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Sal. 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.