Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Fernando Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Fernando

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $791 in San Fernando.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,179 in San Fernando.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,568 in San Fernando.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than San Fernando, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, San Fernando is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.49 ₱212

2.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$13.13 ₱797

147.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$2.69 ₱163

80.67%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.08 ₱65.9

154.63%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.46 ₱27.97

186.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.34 ₱20.45

105.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.36 ₱82.7

113.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$1.39 ₱84.7

172.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.92 ₱117

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.23 ₱74.8

100.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.90 ₱54.4

33.33%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.19 ₱133

11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$9.24 ₱561

55.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.70 ₱225

16.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$7.67 ₱466

59.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.73 ₱166

34.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.73 ₱105

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.35 ₱143

18.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.17 ₱71.2

99.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.88 ₱114

4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$2.15 ₱130

7.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.67 ₱40.50

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.64 ₱38.83

14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.34 ₱203

-1.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$9.02 ₱548

152.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.07 ₱65.1

162.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.42 ₱86.1

95.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.26 ₱15.70

11.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$20.97 ₱1,274

-61.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.74 ₱44.90

-39.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.22 ₱13.29

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$1.07 ₱65.2

483.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.15 ₱70.1

-26.09%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$28.6K ₱1.7M

-9.21%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$23.6K ₱1.4M

34.03%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$107 ₱6,484

-24.38%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$17.57 ₱1,067

-76.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$26.07 ₱1,583

-6.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$30.79 ₱1,870

217.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$4.36 ₱265

47.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.32 ₱262

-6.48%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$61.9 ₱3,759

391.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$1,953 ₱118.6K

239.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$35.19 ₱2,137

54.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$15.77 ₱957

145.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$52.9 ₱3,213

62.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$47.04 ₱2,856

62.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$353 ₱21.4K

179.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$236 ₱14.3K

178.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$596 ₱36.2K

465.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$493 ₱29.9K

319.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$2,342 ₱142.2K

17.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,144 ₱69.4K

94.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$342 ₱20.8K

-52.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.5

141.45%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $353 in San Fernando. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Fernando pays 109% 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 $13.00 in San Fernando for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $199 per month, with San Fernando 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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and San Fernando differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,404 vs $791 including rent). San Fernando is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, San Fernando earns 109% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $353 in San Fernando. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $61.9 in San Fernando. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $791 in San Fernando versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Fernando but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes San Fernando 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 San Fernando 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 San Fernando gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.