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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $871 in Serra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,274 in Serra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,676 in Serra.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 57% more expensive than in Serra, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Serra is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$4.66 R$23.98

-26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

$22.43 R$115

61.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$7.62 R$39.17

-25.07%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$1.98 R$10.20

34.85%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.26 R$6.48

38.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.56 R$2.88

55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$1.98 R$10.17

48.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.85 R$14.68

58.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.10 R$5.64

47.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.78 R$9.14

30.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.13 R$5.82

-1.77%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.08 R$10.69

5.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$9.99 R$51.4

77.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.30 R$22.10

-4.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$8.16 R$41.95

49.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$2.85 R$14.63

30.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.49 R$7.67

6.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.82 R$9.37

25.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$1.58 R$8.14

23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.14 R$5.85

67.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.05 R$5.38

121.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$1.24 R$6.37

-18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$1.34 R$6.90

-58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$2.47 R$12.71

-9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$5.58 R$28.68

313.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$0.94 R$4.84

157.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$3.15 R$16.18

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

$0.87 R$4.48

-68.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$46.76 R$240

-80.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$1.24 R$6.36

-61.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$1.10 R$5.66

-60.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$8.53 R$43.87

-33.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.11 R$5.70

-27.93%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$22.9K R$117.7K

8.95%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$32.3K R$166.3K

-1.96%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$148 R$760

-44.91%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$12.33 R$63.4

-47.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$20.59 R$106

-8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$25.79 R$133

120.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

$27.12 R$139

-30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$7.17 R$36.85

-36.68%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$183 R$943

162.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$7,831 R$40.3K

-27.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$52.9 R$272

-13.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$49.32 R$254

-27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$91.4 R$470

-12.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$71.5 R$367

10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$240 R$1,236

363.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$143 R$737

386.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$433 R$2,224

740.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$213 R$1,096

715.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$960 R$4,934

190.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$552 R$2,839

314.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$530 R$2,725

-68.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.06

24.59%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Serra: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $240 in Serra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Serra pays 215% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Serra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $205 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 215% lower in Serra. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $240 in Serra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% 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 $22.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $871 in Serra versus $1,368 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 57% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.