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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $731 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,087 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,443 in Serra.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 91% more expensive than Serra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Serra is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$4.48 R$22.79

-24.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$21.29 R$108

52.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$6.37 R$32.43

-21.51%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$1.66 R$8.47

69.88%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.71 R$3.59

94.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.56 R$2.84

30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$0.84 R$4.26

254.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$3.30 R$16.80

20.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.84 R$4.28

113.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$1.50 R$7.62

64.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.00 R$5.09

20.00%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.66 R$8.46

43.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$7.69 R$39.13

87.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$3.77 R$19.16

13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$6.49 R$33.00

82.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$2.20 R$11.19

71.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.37 R$6.95

18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.22 R$6.22

129.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.42 R$7.25

59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.07 R$5.42

86.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.18 R$6.01

87.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.63 R$3.20

69.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.53 R$2.69

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$2.12 R$10.78

47.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$5.58 R$28.41

326.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$0.86 R$4.37

230.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$1.22 R$6.22

127.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.83 R$4.22

-67.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$42.04 R$214

-80.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.11 R$5.64

-59.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.96 R$4.87

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$3.70 R$18.84

61.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.01 R$5.14

-20.79%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$20.9K R$106.2K

23.61%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$30.7K R$156.3K

3.51%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$104 R$530

-22.53%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$11.48 R$58.4

-63.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$18.16 R$92.4

32.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$36.21 R$184

169.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$26.80 R$136

-75.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$4.57 R$23.26

-11.60%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$164 R$834

81.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$6,419 R$32.7K

2.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$37.13 R$189

48.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$54.5 R$277

-29.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$82.6 R$420

4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$70.4 R$358

10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$225 R$1,144

338.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$135 R$688

391.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$389 R$1,981

785.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$200 R$1,015

923.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$976 R$4,968

189.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$552 R$2,807

313.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$556 R$2,827

-69.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.38

27.94%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Serra: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $225 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $159 per month, with Serra 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 Serra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Serra is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Serra earns 228% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $225 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Serra – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $731 in Serra versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Serra but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Serra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Serra is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Serra 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 Serra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.