Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Somerville, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $4,027 in Somerville, MA, rent and utilities included – about $32,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Somerville, MA, United States
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Somerville, MA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,027
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Somerville, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,027 in Somerville, MA.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Somerville, MA $4,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,485 in Somerville, MA.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Somerville, MA $5,485

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $6,943 in Somerville, MA.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Somerville, MA $6,943

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 67% less than in Somerville, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$25.09 $25.09
-86.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.7K
$94.6 $94.6
-62.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$13.42 $13.42
-58.79%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$5.36 $5.36
-49.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.98 $2.98
-42.95%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$2.21 $2.21
-65.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$8.12 $8.12
-67.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$8.74 $8.74
-49.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.05 $1.05
41.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$4.06 $4.06
-43.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$5.51 $5.51
-78.40%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$4.75 $4.75
-57.05%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.2K
$15.55 $15.55
13.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$14.33 $14.33
-72.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.2K
$17.95 $17.95
-32.09%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$6.86 $6.86
-46.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$2.08 $2.08
-26.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$5.56 $5.56
-59.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$6.74 $6.74
-70.77%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$2.16 $2.16
-14.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$2.14 $2.14
13.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$2.92 $2.92
-66.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,316
$2.99 $2.99
-82.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$13.40 $13.40
-83.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.6K
$15.64 $15.64
42.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$2.09 $2.09
8.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$4.09 $4.09
-27.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,555
$2.46 $2.46
-89.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.0K
$90.1 $90.1
-91.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,975
$2.64 $2.64
-83.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,804
$1.74 $1.74
-75.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
$27.45 $27.45
-80.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.04 $1.04
-21.15%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.6M
$29.6K $29.6K
-19.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 576.1M
$26.7K $26.7K
18.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$239 $239
-66.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
$76.0 $76.0
-91.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.1K
$76.2 $76.2
-75.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.9K
$118 $118
-58.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
$15.71 $15.71
-72.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$1,841 $1,841
-73.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
$30.6K $30.6K
-81.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 810.0K
$48.22 $48.22
-7.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.2K
$38.42 $38.42
-9.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$102 $102
-22.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$152 $152
-47.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$3,198 $3,198
-64.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$2,362 $2,362
-71.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$6,247 $6,247
-42.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$3,271 $3,271
-47.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$9,711 $9,711
-71.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$6,624 $6,624
-65.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Somerville, MA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$5,470 $5,470
-97.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.64
107.53%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Somerville, MA
$2.4K 252% $1.7K
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Somerville, MA
$475 64.7% $187
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Somerville, MA
$384 257% $277
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Somerville, MA
$153 42.7% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Somerville, MA
$391 276% $287
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Somerville, MA
$149 157% $91
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Somerville, MA
$111 874% $100

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $3,198 in Somerville, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Somerville, MA pays about 33 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $95 in Somerville, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $475 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Somerville, MA
🕒 Local time
23:16 11:16 PM
10:16 10:16 AM
13 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
75,754
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,249 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Somerville, MA 16,200 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Somerville, MA

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 Somerville, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Somerville, MA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $4,027 in Somerville, MA, so Ubud, Bali is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Somerville, MA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,198 in Somerville, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Somerville, MA?
Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,841 in Somerville, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 65% higher in Somerville, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Somerville, MA?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ubud, Bali or Somerville, MA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Somerville, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Somerville, MA?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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