Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Scalea Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Scalea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,509 in Scalea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,280 in Scalea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,051 in Scalea.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 8% less than in Scalea, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 4% above, Scalea 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$5.68 €4.83

-38.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$69.6 €59.3

-52.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$11.68 €9.94

-56.42%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$1.69 €1.44

62.72%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$2.41 €2.05

-42.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$1.30 €1.10

-45.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$3.56 €3.03

-19.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$3.46 €2.94

11.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.40 €1.19

27.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$1.77 €1.50

38.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$2.50 €2.13

-51.60%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$3.07 €2.61

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$10.70 €9.10

37.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$11.11 €9.45

-61.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$15.93 €13.55

-24.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$1.75 €1.49

109.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.61 €1.37

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.49 €1.27

82.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.75 €1.49

29.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.37 €1.17

38.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.19 €1.01

93.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.85 €0.72

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.44 €0.37

77.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$6.63 €5.64

-51.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$4.63 €3.94

419.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$1.99 €1.69

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.70 €1.45

64.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$1.77 €1.51

-84.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$42.93 €36.54

-80.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$6.85 €5.83

-93.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$1.07 €0.91

-59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$28.86 €24.56

-79.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$2.00 €1.70

-57.00%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$25.8K €21.9K

1.07%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$25.8K €22.0K

22.71%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$210 €178

-62.61%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$14.50 €12.34

-72.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$39.28 €33.43

-38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$54.1 €46.02

77.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$22.89 €19.48

-71.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$9.27 €7.89

-56.74%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$453 €385

-33.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$6,970 €5,931

-6.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$78.8 €67.0

-32.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$29.06 €24.73

32.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$87.1 €74.1

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$113 €96.1

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$750 €638

35.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$579 €492

16.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$1,236 €1,052

172.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$942 €802

123.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$3,078 €2,620

-2.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$2,136 €1,818

9.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.59

189.32%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 12, 2026

Last update for Scalea: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $750 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $70 in Scalea. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $260, with Scalea cheaper for home cooking.

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 Scalea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Scalea differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($1,395 vs $1,509 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,092 in Ubud, Bali and $2,264 in Scalea 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $750 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $453 in Scalea. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Scalea pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,509 in Scalea, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Scalea. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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 Scalea 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 8% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.