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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,824 in Scalea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,627 in Scalea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,431 in Scalea.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 25% less than in Scalea, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Scalea 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$17.16 €14.95

-79.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.5K

$57.9 €50.5

-37.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.3K

$11.44 €9.97

-50.09%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.36 €2.05

13.14%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$3.10 €2.70

-43.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$1.86 €1.62

-53.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$7.12 €6.20

-58.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$4.41 €3.84

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.26 €1.10

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.72 €1.49

35.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

$2.77 €2.41

-59.93%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

$3.62 €3.16

-39.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 314.0K

$11.61 €10.11

52.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$12.15 €10.59

-66.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.1K

$16.23 €14.14

-24.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$2.17 €1.89

70.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.82 €1.58

-12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.42 €1.23

60.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$2.69 €2.34

-27.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.61 €1.40

18.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.33 €1.16

75.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$1.34 €1.17

-24.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,795

$0.47 €0.41

17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$6.91 €6.02

-67.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.5K

$7.95 €6.92

190.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.80 €1.57

34.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$1.64 €1.42

82.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,825

$1.52 €1.32

-82.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$40.85 €35.59

-78.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,586

$7.99 €6.96

-93.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,697

$2.25 €1.96

-80.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$34.74 €30.27

-83.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$2.08 €1.81

-61.54%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.7M

$37.8K €32.9K

-33.95%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.8M

$36.1K €31.4K

-12.12%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$322 €281

-74.73%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$10.76 €9.38

-39.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.1K

$36.87 €32.12

-49.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$55.8 €48.63

1.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.4K

$24.23 €21.11

-22.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$10.15 €8.84

-55.27%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$453 €395

5.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.4M

$6,986 €6,086

-18.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.9K

$85.3 €74.3

-46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.9K

$34.42 €29.99

4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$88.9 €77.4

-9.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$129 €112

-38.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$758 €660

47.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$553 €482

26.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$1,160 €1,011

213.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$1,031 €898

68.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,515 €1,320

83.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,172 €1,021

95.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.55

288.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Scalea: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $758 in Scalea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $58.0 in Scalea. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $287, 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 33% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,824 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $2,736 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $758 in Scalea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 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 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,824 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 33% less than in Scalea. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.