Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Song Be Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Song Be

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $820 in Song Be.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,319 in Song Be.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,819 in Song Be.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 68% more expensive than in Song Be, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Song Be is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$1.93 ₫50.4K

71.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$20.76 ₫541.7K

88.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$4.67 ₫121.8K

20.34%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$1.81 ₫47.2K

45.86%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$0.51 ₫13.4K

209.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.34 ₫8,988

108.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

133.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$1.80 ₫46.9K

140.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.55 ₫40.4K

-0.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.02 ₫26.6K

125.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.06 ₫27.6K

-2.83%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$1.61 ₫42.0K

31.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$12.04 ₫314.3K

43.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$3.52 ₫92.0K

14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$10.40 ₫271.5K

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$3.07 ₫80.1K

20.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.32 ₫34.5K

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$1.70 ₫44.3K

33.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.23 ₫32.1K

61.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$1.22 ₫31.9K

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$1.17 ₫30.6K

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.73 ₫19.0K

42.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.53 ₫13.7K

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.22 ₫31.8K

81.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$11.93 ₫311.3K

94.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$0.92 ₫24.1K

159.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.48 ₫38.6K

93.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.34 ₫8,766

-26.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

$6.44 ₫168.1K

11.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.69 ₫18.0K

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.61 ₫16.0K

-24.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$2.98 ₫77.8K

91.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.90 ₫23.6K

-15.56%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$30.0K ₫784.1M

-18.22%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$30.3K ₫791.9M

2.26%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$104 ₫2.7M

-20.67%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$5.93 ₫154.7K

6.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$10.12 ₫264.1K

83.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$21.78 ₫568.5K

157.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$7.63 ₫199.1K

141.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$3.51 ₫91.7K

21.37%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$159 ₫4.2M

207.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$22.3K ₫581.6M

-74.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$52.6 ₫1.4M

-12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$33.59 ₫876.7K

6.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$88.9 ₫2.3M

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$92.3 ₫2.4M

-12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$408 ₫10.6M

180.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$274 ₫7.2M

152.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$734 ₫19.1M

381.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$602 ₫15.7M

183.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$2,839 ₫74.1M

-1.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$1,320 ₫34.4M

71.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.64

59.49%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Last update for Song Be: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $408 in Song Be. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Song Be for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $204 per month, with Song Be 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 Song Be: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Song Be differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($1,379 vs $820 including rent). Song Be is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,069 in Ubud, Bali and $1,230 in Song Be to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $408 in Song Be. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Song Be runs roughly 11% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $489 in Ubud, Bali versus $159 in Song Be. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $820 in Song Be versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Song Be but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Song Be the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Song Be 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 Song Be gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.