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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,206 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,065 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,925 in Sosua.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Sosua is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$8.60 DOP 508

-58.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$50.2 DOP 2,967

-35.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$6.94 DOP 410

-26.95%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.65 DOP 157

6.79%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.03 DOP 60.9

30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.82 DOP 48.56

-15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.51 DOP 148

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$5.03 DOP 297

-23.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.38 DOP 81.7

26.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.78 DOP 105

42.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.12 DOP 66.0

6.25%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.88 DOP 111

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$7.05 DOP 417

107.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$6.36 DOP 376

-34.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.71 DOP 456

54.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.59 DOP 153

42.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.83 DOP 49.20

93.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$2.93 DOP 173

-8.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.98 DOP 117

17.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$2.27 DOP 134

-15.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$2.31 DOP 136

-5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.04 DOP 61.4

1.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.74 DOP 43.93

-2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$5.64 DOP 333

-44.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$11.76 DOP 695

99.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.55 DOP 151

7.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.45 DOP 145

17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.71 DOP 42.17

-59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$3.49 DOP 206

-87.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$2.22 DOP 131

-81.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.01 DOP 355

2.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.32 DOP 77.9

-36.36%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$26.7K DOP 1.6M

-1.57%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$31.6K DOP 1.9M

2.93%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$77.0 DOP 4,548

1.88%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$20.62 DOP 1,218

-80.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$35.91 DOP 2,122

-32.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$25.69 DOP 1,518

275.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$6.78 DOP 401

-40.41%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$263 DOP 15.5K

15.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$6,391 DOP 377.6K

2.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$61.1 DOP 3,609

-11.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$51.5 DOP 3,044

-26.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$94.5 DOP 5,583

-8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$115 DOP 6,799

-31.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$466 DOP 27.5K

117.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$481 DOP 28.4K

40.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$1,455 DOP 86.0K

133.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$1,269 DOP 75.0K

65.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,844 DOP 108.9K

61.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,761 DOP 104.1K

32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

12.9

2.95%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Sosua: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $466 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $50.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $225, with Sosua 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 Sosua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sosua wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sosua the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,809 in Sosua 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $466 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $263 in Sosua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sosua – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,206 in Sosua versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sosua but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sosua the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sosua delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sosua hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sosua 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 Sosua gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.