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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $736 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,181 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,625 in Smolyan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 86% more expensive than in Smolyan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Smolyan is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$6.45 BGN 10.73

-46.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

$38.80 BGN 64.6

-6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$5.77 BGN 9.59

-1.04%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$1.36 BGN 2.26

96.32%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.07 BGN 1.79

63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.76 BGN 1.27

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$1.75 BGN 2.92

68.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.24 BGN 3.72

101.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.68 BGN 2.80

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.96 BGN 1.60

142.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.79 BGN 2.98

-37.99%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.39 BGN 5.64

-35.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$9.10 BGN 15.13

94.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$5.84 BGN 9.72

-29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$8.77 BGN 14.60

38.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.17 BGN 1.94

217.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.82 BGN 3.03

-12.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$1.21 BGN 2.02

88.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$2.42 BGN 4.03

-19.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.19 BGN 1.98

60.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$1.40 BGN 2.34

66.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.96 BGN 1.60

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$0.61 BGN 1.01

-9.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$3.50 BGN 5.82

-36.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$5.76 BGN 9.58

300.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$0.58 BGN 0.96

317.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$1.76 BGN 2.93

70.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

$0.95 BGN 1.59

-71.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$33.79 BGN 56.2

-73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$1.36 BGN 2.27

-64.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$0.60 BGN 1.00

-28.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$12.24 BGN 20.36

-53.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.58 BGN 2.63

-49.37%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$23.5K BGN 39.1K

6.13%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$23.2K BGN 38.5K

36.90%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$108 BGN 180

-24.62%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$15.20 BGN 25.29

-57.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$9.59 BGN 15.96

95.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$22.33 BGN 37.15

154.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

$17.52 BGN 29.15

6.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$7.85 BGN 13.06

-42.17%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$233 BGN 388

106.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$6,090 BGN 10.1K

-6.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$29.68 BGN 49.37

53.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$22.28 BGN 37.06

61.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$62.7 BGN 104

28.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$65.1 BGN 108

20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$203 BGN 337

449.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$147 BGN 245

373.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$292 BGN 485

1146.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$253 BGN 421

585.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,376 BGN 2,290

102.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,108 BGN 1,843

106.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$720 BGN 1,198

-76.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.25

324.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $203 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Smolyan pays 329% 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 $39.00 in Smolyan. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $199, with Smolyan cheaper for home cooking.

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 Smolyan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Smolyan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 329% lower in Smolyan. 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 $203 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $233 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $736 in Smolyan versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Smolyan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Smolyan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Smolyan 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 Smolyan 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 Smolyan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.