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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,204 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,051 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,898 in Sosua.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 17% more expensive than Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Sosua is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$8.32 DOP 487

-57.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$51.7 DOP 3,029

-37.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$7.23 DOP 424

-32.78%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.71 DOP 158

1.48%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$1.03 DOP 60.5

28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.84 DOP 49.30

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.51 DOP 147

15.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$5.13 DOP 301

-26.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.39 DOP 81.4

23.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.80 DOP 106

37.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.17 DOP 68.3

2.56%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.81 DOP 106

34.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$7.02 DOP 411

104.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$6.21 DOP 364

-30.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$7.87 DOP 461

55.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.64 DOP 155

39.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.77 DOP 45.09

101.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.98 DOP 174

-6.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.89 DOP 111

23.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$2.37 DOP 139

-16.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$2.32 DOP 136

-0.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.00 DOP 58.6

6.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.75 DOP 43.86

-2.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$5.61 DOP 328

-41.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$10.78 DOP 632

111.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.60 DOP 152

8.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.52 DOP 148

10.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.70 DOP 41.26

-58.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$3.50 DOP 205

-87.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$2.18 DOP 128

-79.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$5.80 DOP 340

7.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.32 DOP 77.2

-35.61%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$26.5K DOP 1.6M

-1.95%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$31.9K DOP 1.9M

-0.64%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$77.8 DOP 4,557

3.81%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$20.16 DOP 1,181

-79.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$35.88 DOP 2,102

-31.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$25.96 DOP 1,521

276.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$6.60 DOP 386

-38.79%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$267 DOP 15.6K

14.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$6,318 DOP 370.1K

4.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$59.2 DOP 3,465

-8.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$52.1 DOP 3,050

-25.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$96.1 DOP 5,631

-10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$114 DOP 6,698

-32.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$460 DOP 26.9K

114.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$474 DOP 27.7K

38.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$1,440 DOP 84.3K

134.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$1,299 DOP 76.1K

59.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,924 DOP 112.7K

42.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,834 DOP 107.4K

21.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Sosua: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $460 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $52.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $223, 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 17% 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 $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,806 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $460 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $267 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 $52.0 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Sosua versus $1,404 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 $1,204 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 17% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.