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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $752 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,163 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,574 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Santa Cruz, Laguna is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$1.81 ₱111

90.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$8.80 ₱543

267.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$3.07 ₱189

57.65%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.10 ₱129

30.95%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.43 ₱26.27

220.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.28 ₱17.46

167.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.22 ₱75.5

145.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.09 ₱67.1

253.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.81 ₱112

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.25 ₱77.4

96.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.04 ₱64.0

12.50%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.72 ₱106

41.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$5.18 ₱319

179.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.35 ₱268

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$7.26 ₱448

65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.58 ₱97.1

135.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.52 ₱31.85

213.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.55 ₱95.7

76.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.63 ₱101

37.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$2.90 ₱179

-33.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$4.00 ₱247

-43.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.57 ₱96.9

-32.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.06 ₱65.4

-32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.17 ₱196

3.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$9.17 ₱565

152.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.61 ₱99.6

72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.94 ₱120

40.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.26 ₱15.84

3.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.79 ₱48.55

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.22 ₱13.50

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$2.14 ₱132

190.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.10 ₱68.1

-26.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$25.9K ₱1.6M

2.65%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$20.5K ₱1.3M

57.04%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$95.2 ₱5,873

-17.73%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$33.23 ₱2,050

-87.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$30.15 ₱1,859

-19.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$33.67 ₱2,077

192.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$4.30 ₱265

47.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.89 ₱425

-42.09%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$81.0 ₱4,998

276.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$2,775 ₱171.2K

139.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$32.05 ₱1,976

68.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$29.37 ₱1,811

28.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$99.3 ₱6,120

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$95.8 ₱5,907

-20.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$265 ₱16.4K

274.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$173 ₱10.7K

288.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$588 ₱36.3K

473.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$400 ₱24.7K

412.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$2,399 ₱148.0K

16.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,116 ₱68.8K

99.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $265 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $192 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 87% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $752 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,128 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $265 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $81.0 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $752 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,408 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 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.