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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $777 in Smolyan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,231 in Smolyan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,685 in Smolyan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 85% more expensive than Smolyan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Smolyan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$6.62 BGN 11.06

-46.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$37.99 BGN 63.5

-14.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$5.78 BGN 9.65

-12.28%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.37 BGN 2.28

106.57%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.30 BGN 2.17

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$1.05 BGN 1.76

-34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.74 BGN 2.90

71.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.16 BGN 3.61

78.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.81 BGN 3.02

-3.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.96 BGN 1.60

164.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.73 BGN 2.89

-31.21%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$3.64 BGN 6.08

-33.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$10.52 BGN 17.56

39.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$5.98 BGN 9.99

-30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$9.10 BGN 15.20

31.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.22 BGN 2.03

202.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.80 BGN 3.01

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.15 BGN 1.92

133.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$2.43 BGN 4.05

-4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.16 BGN 1.93

64.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.43 BGN 2.39

53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.19 BGN 1.99

-10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.58 BGN 0.97

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.59 BGN 6.00

-12.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$5.89 BGN 9.84

298.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.57 BGN 0.95

380.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.67 BGN 2.78

72.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.97 BGN 1.63

-70.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$34.28 BGN 57.2

-76.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.17 BGN 1.95

-61.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.51 BGN 0.85

-17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$12.01 BGN 20.05

-48.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.50 BGN 2.51

-44.00%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$23.7K BGN 39.6K

10.54%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$24.4K BGN 40.8K

32.88%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$120 BGN 201

-34.84%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$16.25 BGN 27.14

-75.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$9.26 BGN 15.47

163.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$22.30 BGN 37.24

332.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$15.00 BGN 25.05

-57.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$7.01 BGN 11.70

-42.37%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$318 BGN 532

-4.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$5,509 BGN 9,200

18.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$30.08 BGN 50.2

78.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$22.09 BGN 36.89

71.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$62.8 BGN 105

38.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$65.5 BGN 109

20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$203 BGN 339

398.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$145 BGN 243

363.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$297 BGN 495

1042.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$252 BGN 420

733.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,398 BGN 2,334

113.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,109 BGN 1,852

110.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$706 BGN 1,180

-75.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.5

195.11%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Smolyan: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $203 in Smolyan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Smolyan pays 308% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Smolyan. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $208, 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, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Smolyan earns 308% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $203 in Smolyan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $318 in Smolyan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $777 in Smolyan versus $1,438 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 85% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.