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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $830 in Samaxi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,525 in Samaxi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,221 in Samaxi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 68% more expensive than in Samaxi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Samaxi is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$8.26 ₼14.04

-59.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$29.71 ₼50.5

29.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$5.78 ₼9.83

-4.50%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.75 ₼4.68

-4.00%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.91 ₼1.55

83.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.34 ₼0.57

126.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$1.21 ₼2.06

117.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.28 ₼3.88

87.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.29 ₼2.19

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$0.36 ₼0.61

516.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$2.29 ₼3.89

-50.66%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.17 ₼1.99

78.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$2.92 ₼4.96

495.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$4.47 ₼7.60

-13.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$8.78 ₼14.93

42.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$0.64 ₼1.08

465.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.59 ₼2.71

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$1.37 ₼2.33

71.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$1.05 ₼1.78

96.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.64 ₼1.09

196.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$0.49 ₼0.83

377.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.47 ₼0.80

119.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.58 ₼0.99

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$3.54 ₼6.02

-36.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$5.41 ₼9.19

340.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$0.85 ₼1.44

171.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.94 ₼3.29

44.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.30 ₼0.51

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$14.61 ₼24.82

-40.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.73 ₼2.94

-72.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.30 ₼0.51

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$2.98 ₼5.07

91.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$0.61 ₼1.04

24.59%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$23.3K ₼39.6K

5.19%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$25.1K ₼42.7K

27.82%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$33.73 ₼57.3

147.70%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$12.89 ₼21.91

-49.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$14.43 ₼24.53

31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$29.30 ₼49.79

91.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$14.75 ₼25.07

26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$7.13 ₼12.11

-39.97%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$238 ₼404

104.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$11.7K ₼20.0K

-50.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$46.76 ₼79.5

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$58.4 ₼99.2

-37.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$117 ₼199

-30.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$116 ₼198

-30.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$377 ₼641

196.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$297 ₼504

136.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$716 ₼1,217

393.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$875 ₼1,487

101.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$2,055 ₼3,493

37.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$1,177 ₼2,000

94.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$343 ₼583

-50.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

72.25%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Samaxi: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $377 in Samaxi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Samaxi pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Samaxi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $142 per month, with Samaxi cheaper across the board.

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 Samaxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Samaxi wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Samaxi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Samaxi. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $377 in Samaxi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Samaxi – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $830 in Samaxi – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $830 in Samaxi versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Samaxi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Samaxi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Samaxi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $830 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Samaxi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Samaxi 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 Samaxi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.