Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santa Cruz, Laguna Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Santa Cruz, Laguna

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,156 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,574 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 92% more expensive than Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Santa Cruz, Laguna is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$1.80 ₱111

97.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$8.66 ₱534

277.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$3.05 ₱188

62.30%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.19 ₱135

23.74%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.43 ₱26.47

211.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.26 ₱15.85

169.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.27 ₱78.4

129.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.08 ₱66.7

266.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.81 ₱111

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.21 ₱74.5

108.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.07 ₱66.0

8.41%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.74 ₱107

41.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$5.38 ₱332

173.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$4.31 ₱266

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$7.16 ₱442

69.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.57 ₱97.1

144.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.51 ₱31.34

205.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.56 ₱96.2

81.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.69 ₱104

37.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.86 ₱177

-33.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$4.16 ₱256

-47.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.56 ₱96.3

-35.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.04 ₱64.2

-25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.18 ₱196

4.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$8.92 ₱550

166.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.54 ₱95.3

81.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.98 ₱122

44.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.26 ₱15.84

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.77 ₱47.63

-40.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.22 ₱13.53

104.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.19 ₱135

178.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.09 ₱67.1

-27.52%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$25.4K ₱1.6M

2.89%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$20.4K ₱1.3M

57.65%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$94.5 ₱5,826

-15.40%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$33.54 ₱2,068

-87.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$29.99 ₱1,849

-21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$34.24 ₱2,111

188.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$4.49 ₱277

47.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.91 ₱426

-39.94%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$81.2 ₱5,005

274.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$2,818 ₱173.7K

134.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$32.30 ₱1,992

71.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$29.26 ₱1,804

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$97.3 ₱5,998

-8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$92.8 ₱5,719

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$271 ₱16.7K

271.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$179 ₱11.0K

277.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$579 ₱35.7K

494.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$399 ₱24.6K

411.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,557 ₱157.7K

11.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,067 ₱65.8K

112.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.13

63.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $191 per month, with Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Santa Cruz, Laguna differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $738 including rent). Santa Cruz, Laguna is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,107 in Santa Cruz, Laguna to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $271 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $81.2 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz, Laguna – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $738 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz, Laguna but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna 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 Santa Cruz, Laguna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.