Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and San Rafael, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $42,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
238

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael, CA
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San Rafael, CA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in San Rafael, CA

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 San Rafael, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
San Rafael, CA $4,929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $6,391 in San Rafael, CA.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
San Rafael, CA $6,391

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $7,853 in San Rafael, CA.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
San Rafael, CA $7,853

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 72% less than in San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, San Rafael, CA 265% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$24.68 $24.68

-86.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$120 $120

-70.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$12.05 $12.05

-51.87%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$4.74 $4.74

-42.41%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$3.03 $3.03

-45.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$2.93 $2.93

-71.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$5.38 $5.38

-49.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$6.98 $6.98

-38.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.42 $1.42

5.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$4.51 $4.51

-49.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$9.69 $9.69

-87.82%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$5.42 $5.42

-60.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$23.21 $23.21

-24.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$15.45 $15.45

-73.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$18.15 $18.15

-32.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$7.63 $7.63

-53.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$2.93 $2.93

-46.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$6.29 $6.29

-64.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$8.58 $8.58

-77.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$5.89 $5.89

-68.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$5.44 $5.44

-57.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$3.07 $3.07

-67.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$3.89 $3.89

-86.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$10.85 $10.85

-78.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$12.96 $12.96

77.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$2.23 $2.23

4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$2.99 $2.99

-2.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$2.05 $2.05

-88.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$65.7 $65.7

-86.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$4.10 $4.10

-88.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$4.44 $4.44

-89.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$28.84 $28.84

-81.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.44 $1.44

-38.89%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$32.0K $32.0K

-23.33%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$26.4K $26.4K

17.98%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$253 $253

-67.25%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$85.4 $85.4

-92.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$61.3 $61.3

-69.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$124 $124

-54.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$30.21 $30.21

-40.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$13.14 $13.14

-66.67%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$2,088 $2,088

-76.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$25.1K $25.1K

-77.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$59.7 $59.7

-22.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$42.92 $42.92

-17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$96.8 $96.8

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$126 $126

-37.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$3,074 $3,074

-62.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$3,202 $3,202

-78.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$4,278 $4,278

-18.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$3,860 $3,860

-55.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$7,456 $7,456

-62.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$5,281 $5,281

-57.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$7,077 $7,077

-97.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.62

108.16%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

San Rafael, CA

$3.2K 65% 374% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

San Rafael, CA

$575 11.7% 98.2% $285

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

San Rafael, CA

$355 7.2% 227% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

San Rafael, CA

$400 8.1% 270% $292

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

San Rafael, CA

$147 3% 36.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3% 132% $85

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

San Rafael, CA

$100 2% 698% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $3,074 in San Rafael, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 4201% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $120 in San Rafael, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $575 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

15 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

58,704

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali San Rafael, CA 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
San Rafael, CA

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 San Rafael, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 260% lower than in San Rafael, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4201% lower in San Rafael, CA. 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: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,074 in San Rafael, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA – a 260% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 644% less than in San Rafael, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,929 in San Rafael, CA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in San Rafael, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and San Rafael, CA 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 260% less than in San Rafael, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.