Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Skien

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $2,336 in Skien, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Skien
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,336
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Skien actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,336 in Skien, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Skien $2,336

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,267 in Skien, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Skien $3,267

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,197 in Skien, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Skien $4,197

Ubud, Bali is about 41% cheaper than Skien, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Skien sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Skien by 73%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$21.21 NOK 200
-84.30%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$103 NOK 971
-65.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$15.47 NOK 146
-62.51%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$5.11 NOK 48.11
-46.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$4.36 NOK 41.01
-62.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$2.97 NOK 27.96
-72.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$11.89 NOK 112
-77.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$12.33 NOK 116
-65.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$2.11 NOK 19.84
-28.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$3.92 NOK 36.90
-41.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$4.57 NOK 42.98
-74.18%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$5.66 NOK 53.3
-62.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$13.16 NOK 124
32.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$15.17 NOK 143
-73.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$21.79 NOK 205
-43.87%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$3.35 NOK 31.49
5.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$2.70 NOK 25.42
-41.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$3.49 NOK 32.86
-35.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$5.95 NOK 56.0
-67.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$2.24 NOK 21.04
-16.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$2.78 NOK 26.12
-17.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$3.04 NOK 28.63
-67.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$2.48 NOK 23.33
-78.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$19.02 NOK 179
-88.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$15.76 NOK 148
46.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$3.35 NOK 31.58
-30.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$4.33 NOK 40.76
-32.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$3.26 NOK 30.64
-92.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$47.91 NOK 451
-81.59%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$11.13 NOK 105
-95.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.81 NOK 17.02
-74.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$70.8 NOK 667
-92.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$2.27 NOK 21.39
-61.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$47.5K NOK 447.3K
-48.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$43.4K NOK 408.1K
-28.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$93.9 NOK 884
-11.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$33.89 NOK 319
-80.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$53.6 NOK 504
-65.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$43.10 NOK 406
29.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$15.29 NOK 144
-71.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$239 NOK 2,247
106.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$15.7K NOK 148.1K
-63.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$63.7 NOK 600
-27.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$60.4 NOK 568
-41.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$87.9 NOK 827
-10.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$153 NOK 1,442
-48.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$1,042 NOK 9,811
9.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$975 NOK 9,183
-30.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$1,035 NOK 9,746
238.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$939 NOK 8,841
80.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$3,395 NOK 32.0K
-18.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$3,149 NOK 29.6K
-28.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Skien
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$4,236 NOK 39.9K
-96.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.37
215.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Skien: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Skien
$975 44.4% $300
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Skien
$470 61.7% $179
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Skien
$391 259% $282
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Skien
$181 67.8% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Skien
$164 52.8% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Skien
$74 14.1% $9.1
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Skien
$81 546% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,042 in Skien. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2474% higher in Skien, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $103 in Skien. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $470 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇳🇴 Skien
🕒 Local time
23:42 11:42 PM
17:42 5:42 PM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
56,769
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Skien 11,710 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Skien

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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skien cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Skien is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,504 in Skien. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Skien?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $103 in Skien. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Skien?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali and $2,336 in Skien. That's a gap of about 71%.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Skien?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,368, than in Skien at $2,336. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Skien it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Skien more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Skien?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Skien makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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