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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $720 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,101 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,482 in Serra.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 100% more expensive than Serra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Serra is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$4.34 R$21.64

-17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$20.80 R$104

56.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$6.26 R$31.25

-19.01%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.74 R$8.66

62.64%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.70 R$3.51

91.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.52 R$2.61

32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$0.84 R$4.19

255.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.26 R$16.29

18.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.85 R$4.22

104.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.44 R$7.19

76.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.00 R$4.99

19.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.61 R$8.03

50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$7.31 R$36.46

100.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.63 R$18.09

15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$6.28 R$31.35

90.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.18 R$10.89

69.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.34 R$6.69

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.19 R$5.94

126.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.42 R$7.09

64.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.05 R$5.26

81.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.15 R$5.73

90.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.58 R$2.89

82.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.56 R$2.81

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.12 R$10.60

47.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$5.69 R$28.39

312.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.88 R$4.41

211.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.22 R$6.08

136.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.88 R$4.40

-67.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$42.58 R$212

-80.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.15 R$5.72

-60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.91 R$4.56

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$3.80 R$18.94

62.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.02 R$5.07

-17.65%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$20.8K R$103.9K

26.02%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$29.9K R$149.2K

8.66%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$102 R$510

-23.29%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$11.48 R$57.3

-65.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$17.82 R$88.9

36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$36.66 R$183

163.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$26.98 R$135

-76.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.39 R$21.91

-7.97%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$165 R$825

82.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$6,574 R$32.8K

-0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$36.64 R$183

46.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$54.8 R$274

-30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$81.4 R$406

6.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$69.0 R$344

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$225 R$1,122

350.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$132 R$661

409.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$397 R$1,983

753.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$194 R$970

979.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$982 R$4,900

203.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$555 R$2,770

321.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$547 R$2,729

-68.35%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Serra: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $225 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 216% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $156 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 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Serra earns 216% 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: $1,012 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 91% 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $720 in Serra versus $1,438 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 100% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.