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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,062 in Side.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,635 in Side.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,207 in Side.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 32% more expensive than in Side, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Side is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$7.80 ₺369

-56.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$23.17 ₺1,097

37.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$6.27 ₺297

-19.46%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$2.80 ₺133

-3.21%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$1.70 ₺80.4

-18.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.44 ₺20.76

68.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$2.98 ₺141

-3.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$4.02 ₺190

-5.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$0.89 ₺42.12

101.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$0.93 ₺44.20

169.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$0.93 ₺43.82

30.11%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$1.77 ₺83.8

33.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$8.33 ₺394

73.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$5.48 ₺259

-24.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$16.39 ₺776

-26.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$1.05 ₺49.59

259.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.09 ₺99.1

-22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$0.79 ₺37.30

243.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$1.10 ₺51.9

105.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$0.60 ₺28.17

221.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$0.46 ₺21.68

376.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.28 ₺60.5

-20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.34 ₺16.23

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$2.13 ₺101

49.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$12.87 ₺609

85.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$1.64 ₺77.6

68.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.14 ₺101

28.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

$0.68 ₺32.05

-60.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

$30.96 ₺1,465

-73.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$1.08 ₺51.3

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$0.60 ₺28.36

-30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$7.59 ₺359

-20.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.17 ₺55.3

-29.91%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$40.5K ₺1.9M

-34.38%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$42.5K ₺2.0M

-24.17%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$48.49 ₺2,295

61.37%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$8.06 ₺381

-51.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$6.44 ₺305

271.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$44.00 ₺2,082

118.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$6.43 ₺304

-37.64%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$601 ₺28.4K

-49.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$8,869 ₺419.7K

-26.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$75.3 ₺3,565

-26.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$44.37 ₺2,100

-13.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$159 ₺7,524

-44.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$112 ₺5,297

-31.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$517 ₺24.4K

90.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$397 ₺18.8K

71.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

$876 ₺41.5K

290.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

$711 ₺33.7K

191.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,252 ₺59.3K

120.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,012 ₺47.9K

121.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-33.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Side: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $517 in Side. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Side for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $207 per month, with Side 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 Side: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Side is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $1,593 in Side 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Side. 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 Side – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,062 in Side versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Side but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Side the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Side 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 Side 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 Side gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.