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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $974 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,313 in Santa Cruz, Laguna.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 117% more expensive than in Santa Cruz, Laguna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Santa Cruz, Laguna is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$1.64 ₱102

103.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 631.0K

$7.96 ₱497

350.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.2K

$2.77 ₱173

103.25%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$1.78 ₱111

58.43%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.42 ₱26.14

316.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.23 ₱14.30

247.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.03 ₱64.0

195.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$0.93 ₱57.8

362.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.64 ₱102

-1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 40.0K

$1.12 ₱69.7

102.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$0.94 ₱58.6

24.47%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.56 ₱97.1

39.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.6K

$4.75 ₱296

271.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$3.49 ₱218

16.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.6K

$7.29 ₱455

67.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.48 ₱92.4

144.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.50 ₱31.15

228.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.47 ₱91.9

57.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.08 ₱67.2

81.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.70 ₱106

8.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.8K

$1.74 ₱109

36.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.63 ₱39.03

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,564

$0.53 ₱32.86

1.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$2.98 ₱186

-22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.5K

$8.65 ₱539

166.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.93 ₱57.9

151.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.01 ₱126

52.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,366

$0.25 ₱15.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$11.30 ₱705

-16.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,635

$0.79 ₱49.17

-37.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,352

$0.25 ₱15.59

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.7K

$1.90 ₱118

194.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.21 ₱75.6

-33.06%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.5M

$21.1K ₱1.3M

18.76%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.2M

$19.2K ₱1.2M

61.83%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$87.6 ₱5,460

-5.52%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.3K

$17.87 ₱1,114

-63.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 331.0K

$23.16 ₱1,444

-18.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 973.0K

$32.24 ₱2,011

71.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.8K

$4.72 ₱294

285.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$5.34 ₱333

-19.48%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$132 ₱8,260

273.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$10.7K ₱668.8K

-44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 815.2K

$29.47 ₱1,838

57.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.9K

$19.28 ₱1,202

89.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.9 ₱4,419

13.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$56.1 ₱3,499

40.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$273 ₱17.0K

308.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$175 ₱10.9K

297.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$500 ₱31.2K

627.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.2M

$355 ₱22.1K

382.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$2,640 ₱164.6K

4.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,024 ₱63.9K

123.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.75

104.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz, Laguna: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $8.00 in Santa Cruz, Laguna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $156 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 117% in total monthly costs ($1,378 vs $635 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 $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $953 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $273 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $132 in Santa Cruz, Laguna. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $635 in Santa Cruz, Laguna versus $1,378 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 117% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.