Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sibolga

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibolga: $624 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Sibolga, Indonesia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Sibolga
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$624
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Sibolga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Sibolga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $624 in Sibolga.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Sibolga $624

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $996 in Sibolga.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Sibolga $996

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,368 in Sibolga.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Sibolga $1,368

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 113% more expensive than in Sibolga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Sibolga 54% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.3K
$1.68 Rp 30.4K
101.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 628.8K
$14.03 Rp 254.5K
146.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 101.2K
$3.31 Rp 60.1K
68.28%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
$1.45 Rp 26.4K
80.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$0.43 Rp 7,744
258.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.22 Rp 3,975
190.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
$2.15 Rp 39.0K
24.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.4K
$3.37 Rp 61.2K
26.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$1.17 Rp 21.1K
24.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
$1.08 Rp 19.6K
112.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
$0.80 Rp 14.6K
38.75%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
$1.47 Rp 26.6K
42.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 289.3K
$6.98 Rp 126.7K
128.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.5K
$2.95 Rp 53.5K
31.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 206.9K
$7.67 Rp 139.3K
48.63%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.5K
$2.14 Rp 38.8K
65.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$1.24 Rp 22.6K
24.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
44.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.26 Rp 22.8K
56.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
$1.26 Rp 22.8K
47.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
26.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$0.79 Rp 14.4K
29.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,479
$0.39 Rp 7,076
33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
$2.57 Rp 46.6K
-14.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 395.4K
$20.63 Rp 374.4K
5.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
25.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.01 Rp 54.7K
-1.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,544
$0.23 Rp 4,148
8.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.4K
$11.34 Rp 205.9K
-27.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,944
$0.53 Rp 9,676
-16.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,493
$0.34 Rp 6,230
38.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
$2.90 Rp 52.7K
93.10%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
2.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 443.7M
$22.6K Rp 410.2M
8.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.2M
$32.5K Rp 590.6M
-2.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$64.1 Rp 1.2M
20.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
$4.29 Rp 77.9K
43.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 343.3K
$18.67 Rp 338.7K
1.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 925.4K
$18.29 Rp 332.0K
178.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 331.2K
$8.13 Rp 147.5K
124.48%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$2.73 Rp 49.5K
60.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$94.7 Rp 1.7M
420.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.8M
$8,087 Rp 146.8M
51.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 819.6K
$43.28 Rp 785.5K
4.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 633.2K
$28.82 Rp 522.9K
21.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$76.0 Rp 1.4M
3.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$70.9 Rp 1.3M
9.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.6M
$224 Rp 4.1M
380.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.1M
$146 Rp 2.7M
354.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
$558 Rp 10.1M
528.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
$365 Rp 6.6M
357.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.5M
$1,142 Rp 20.7M
104.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
$803 Rp 14.6M
178.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Sibolga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
9.46
45.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sibolga: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Sibolga
$146 78% $518
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Sibolga
$193 31% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Sibolga
$99 7.3% $7.8
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Sibolga
$61 42.5% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Sibolga
$87 15.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Sibolga
$24 60.3% $36
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Sibolga
$15 21.4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $224 in Sibolga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $14 in Sibolga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $193 per month, with Sibolga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Sibolga
🕒 Local time
18:43 6:43 PM
17:43 5:43 PM
1 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
95,471
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,148 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,345 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Sibolga 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Sibolga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Sibolga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Sibolga?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $624 in Sibolga, so Sibolga is about 53% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Sibolga?
You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $936 in Sibolga 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Sibolga?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $224 in Sibolga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sibolga – a meal for two runs $14 versus $35 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Sibolga?
All in, you’ll spend $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $624 in Sibolga – Sibolga is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $624 in Sibolga versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Sibolga but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sibolga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Sibolga?
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.

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