Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $722 in Siem Reap.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,088 in Siem Reap.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,455 in Siem Reap.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than in Siem Reap, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Siem Reap is 46% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.57 Rp 64.5K
$2.45 ៛9,900
45.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.32 Rp 583.4K
$23.72 ៛95.8K
36.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.01 Rp 90.4K
$7.16 ៛28.9K
-30.03%
Cappuccino
$2.82 Rp 51.0K
$1.59 ៛6,416
77.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 Rp 24.4K
$0.68 ៛2,762
98.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 Rp 13.2K
$0.47 ៛1,889
55.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.93 Rp 53.0K
$1.03 ៛4,148
184.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 Rp 71.1K
$1.83 ៛7,374
115.30%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$1.79 ៛7,241
-0.56%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 Rp 44.2K
$1.44 ៛5,814
70.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.15 Rp 20.7K
$0.97 ៛3,908
18.56%
Eggs
$2.41 Rp 43.6K
$1.55 ៛6,278
55.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.33 Rp 258.7K
$12.84 ៛51.9K
11.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.19 Rp 75.6K
$3.60 ៛14.5K
16.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.06 Rp 217.7K
$10.47 ៛42.3K
15.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.64 Rp 65.7K
$3.66 ៛14.8K
-0.55%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.13 ៛4,558
38.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 Rp 50.3K
$3.40 ៛13.7K
-17.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.5K
$1.32 ៛5,343
69.70%
Potato (1kg)
$1.98 Rp 35.7K
$1.25 ៛5,046
58.40%
Onion (1kg)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$0.95 ៛3,831
140.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.05 Rp 19.0K
$1.31 ៛5,286
-19.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.79 Rp 14.2K
$0.66 ៛2,680
19.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.19 Rp 57.6K
$1.86 ៛7,506
71.51%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.49 Rp 424.1K
$7.66 ៛30.9K
206.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.90 Rp 52.3K
$0.73 ៛2,944
297.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.76 Rp 49.7K
$1.69 ៛6,812
63.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,813
$0.98 ៛3,956
-72.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.37 Rp 151.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,167
$1.08 ៛4,364
-58.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,298
$0.97 ៛3,923
-52.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.07 Rp 109.6K
$4.56 ៛18.4K
33.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
$1.09 ៛4,386
-21.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.6K Rp 480.0M
$48.7K ៛196.8M
-45.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K Rp 587.6M
$37.2K ៛150.2M
-12.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.0 Rp 1.4M
$72.7 ៛293.7K
8.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 Rp 73.9K
$6.13 ៛24.7K
-33.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.85 Rp 430.5K
$19.21 ៛77.6K
24.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$98.8 Rp 1.8M
$36.12 ៛145.8K
173.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.35 Rp 114.7K
$3.48 ៛14.0K
82.47%
Cinema Ticket
$4.01 Rp 72.3K
$4.55 ៛18.4K
-11.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 Rp 5.4M
$377 ៛1.5M
-21.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,602 Rp 119.2M
$5,029 ៛20.3M
31.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.4 Rp 964.5K
$22.35 ៛90.3K
139.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.11 Rp 688.1K
$18.23 ៛73.6K
109.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.7 Rp 1.6M
$54.7 ៛220.7K
62.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.6 Rp 1.4M
$36.69 ៛148.1K
108.83%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,020 Rp 18.4M
$306 ៛1.2M
232.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$680 Rp 12.3M
$220 ៛889.1K
208.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,469 Rp 62.6M
$492 ៛2.0M
604.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,090 Rp 37.7M
$320 ៛1.3M
553.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,729 Rp 49.3M
$2,470 ៛10.0M
10.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,295 Rp 41.4M
$1,074 ៛4.3M
113.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Siem Reap
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$239 ៛963.1K
-31.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.28
9.2
44.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $306 in Siem Reap. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Siem Reap pays 46% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $217 per month, with Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Siem Reap?
Siem Reap wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Siem Reap the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Siem Reap?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Siem Reap. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Siem Reap?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $306 in Siem Reap. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Siem Reap?
Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $377 in Siem Reap. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Siem Reap?
Dining out is cheaper in Siem Reap – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Siem Reap?
At $722 in Siem Reap versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Siem Reap but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Siem Reap the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Siem Reap?
Both work as nomad bases, but Siem Reap delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $722 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Siem Reap hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Siem Reap?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Siem Reap are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Siem Reap gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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