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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $994 in Samara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,708 in Samara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,422 in Samara.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Samara is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$12.58 ₽988

-72.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$51.0 ₽4,008

-36.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.64 ₽443

-14.18%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.41 ₽189

14.11%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.17 ₽92.1

17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.69 ₽54.6

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.13 ₽88.5

164.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.58 ₽203

49.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.12 ₽87.7

55.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.59 ₽46.56

316.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.24 ₽97.3

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.72 ₽135

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.34 ₽734

55.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$5.18 ₽407

-16.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$8.30 ₽652

44.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.55 ₽122

140.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.82 ₽143

-10.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.28 ₽179

20.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.36 ₽185

-5.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.62 ₽48.88

209.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.47 ₽36.96

385.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.82 ₽143

-41.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.56 ₽44.16

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.10 ₽243

6.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$4.51 ₽354

414.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.94 ₽73.9

195.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.25 ₽176

21.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.46 ₽36.52

-41.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$40.89 ₽3,213

-80.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.39 ₽267

-85.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.42 ₽32.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$3.87 ₽304

60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.75 ₽59.0

8.00%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$47.8K ₽3.8M

-44.32%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$43.0K ₽3.4M

-25.13%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$121 ₽9,497

-35.18%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$6.43 ₽505

-36.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$8.24 ₽647

195.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$35.32 ₽2,775

179.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$13.69 ₽1,076

-53.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$4.20 ₽330

-5.00%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$323 ₽25.4K

-5.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$5,976 ₽469.5K

11.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$99.7 ₽7,831

-45.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$46.73 ₽3,671

-19.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$126 ₽9,912

-31.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$75.3 ₽5,917

1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$458 ₽36.0K

116.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$276 ₽21.7K

143.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,252 ₽98.4K

169.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$710 ₽55.8K

188.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$990 ₽77.8K

-83.13%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Samara: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $458 in Samara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samara pays 493% 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 $51.0 in Samara. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $182, 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 ($1,408 vs $994 including rent). Samara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 493% lower in Samara. 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 $458 in Samara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $323 in Samara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $994 in Samara versus $1,408 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.