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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $760 in Song Be.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,178 in Song Be.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,596 in Song Be.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 83% more expensive than in Song Be, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Song Be is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.6K

$1.98 ₫52.1K

71.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 577.1K

$22.62 ₫594.2K

43.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 89.1K

$4.53 ₫119.1K

10.38%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.3K

$1.69 ₫44.5K

66.86%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.5K

$0.50 ₫13.2K

176.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.28 ₫7,277

160.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 53.2K

$1.03 ₫27.2K

189.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.8K

$1.58 ₫41.4K

151.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.0K

$1.47 ₫38.7K

21.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$0.97 ₫25.5K

153.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

$0.93 ₫24.4K

29.03%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.6K

$1.45 ₫38.1K

64.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 256.6K

$11.86 ₫311.5K

21.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 76.4K

$3.59 ₫94.2K

19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 210.6K

$10.39 ₫273.0K

13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.4K

$2.73 ₫71.8K

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.15 ₫30.3K

41.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.9K

$1.36 ₫35.7K

105.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.3K

$1.13 ₫29.8K

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.6K

$1.11 ₫29.1K

80.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$1.17 ₫30.8K

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 19.1K

$0.77 ₫20.1K

38.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.47 ₫12.5K

61.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.7K

$1.22 ₫32.0K

156.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 424.4K

$12.81 ₫336.5K

85.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.6K

$0.91 ₫23.9K

212.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.5K

$1.48 ₫38.9K

87.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,755

$0.32 ₫8,299

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 149.1K

$6.72 ₫176.5K

24.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,082

$0.66 ₫17.3K

-31.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,624

$0.69 ₫18.1K

-37.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 106.5K

$3.13 ₫82.3K

91.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.82 ₫21.5K

-2.44%

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

$25.8K Rp 459.9M

$38.3K ₫1.0B

-32.58%

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

$31.8K Rp 566.8M

$34.6K ₫908.8M

-8.07%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$84.6 ₫2.2M

-4.55%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.7K

$5.89 ₫154.8K

-29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 429.8K

$9.58 ₫251.7K

151.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$21.00 ₫551.6K

365.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 118.4K

$7.46 ₫196.0K

-10.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.9K

$4.24 ₫111.3K

-4.72%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$276 ₫7.2M

7.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 117.4M

$13.7K ₫360.7M

-52.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 982.6K

$41.52 ₫1.1M

32.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 686.2K

$26.89 ₫706.5K

43.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$95.2 ₫2.5M

-9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$87.0 ₫2.3M

-10.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.6M

$358 ₫9.4M

174.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$249 ₫6.6M

166.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.4M

$688 ₫18.1M

400.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.4M

$469 ₫12.3M

335.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.4M

$3,726 ₫97.9M

-24.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.7M

$1,345 ₫35.3M

69.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.14

45.30%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Song Be: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $358 in Song Be. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Song Be for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $198 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 83% in total monthly costs ($1,394 vs $760 including rent). Song Be is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $1,140 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $358 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 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $276 in Song Be. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $760 in Song Be versus $1,394 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 83% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.