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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $997 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,718 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,440 in Samara.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than Samara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Samara is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$12.92 ₽954

-72.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$50.5 ₽3,727

-35.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.63 ₽415

-12.08%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.32 ₽171

16.81%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.17 ₽86.5

14.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.70 ₽51.3

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.12 ₽82.9

160.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.52 ₽186

57.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.07 ₽79.2

69.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.61 ₽44.69

313.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.24 ₽91.8

-6.45%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.80 ₽133

36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$8.93 ₽659

64.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$5.10 ₽376

-15.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$8.69 ₽641

39.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.56 ₽115

146.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.85 ₽136

-15.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.18 ₽161

29.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.32 ₽171

0.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.63 ₽46.83

203.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.51 ₽37.96

331.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.80 ₽133

-43.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.61 ₽44.75

27.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.09 ₽228

7.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$4.92 ₽363

382.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.87 ₽64.2

220.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.32 ₽172

23.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.50 ₽37.05

-46.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$40.57 ₽2,994

-80.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$3.43 ₽253

-86.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.39 ₽28.61

15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$3.72 ₽275

63.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.74 ₽55.0

6.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$48.7K ₽3.6M

-46.28%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$44.6K ₽3.3M

-28.04%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$121 ₽8,917

-33.85%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$6.46 ₽477

-37.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$8.49 ₽627

177.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$34.59 ₽2,552

185.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$13.70 ₽1,011

-51.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.05 ₽299

2.47%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$313 ₽23.1K

-3.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$6,042 ₽445.8K

9.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$99.4 ₽7,333

-44.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$48.35 ₽3,568

-20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$129 ₽9,549

-31.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.7 ₽5,515

4.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$469 ₽34.6K

114.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$281 ₽20.8K

140.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$1,234 ₽91.1K

178.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$714 ₽52.7K

185.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,030 ₽76.0K

-83.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

15.33

-13.37%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Samara: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $469 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 523% 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 $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $183, with Samara 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 Samara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Samara differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $997 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Samara earns 523% 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 $469 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $313 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $997 in Samara versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Samara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Samara 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.