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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,198 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,075 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,953 in Sosua.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 16% more expensive than in Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sosua is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$8.35 DOP 485

-57.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$50.9 DOP 2,959

-36.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$7.10 DOP 413

-29.44%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.72 DOP 158

3.68%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.02 DOP 59.3

32.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.77 DOP 44.83

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.48 DOP 144

18.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$4.97 DOP 289

-20.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.38 DOP 80.4

28.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$1.79 DOP 104

36.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.12 DOP 64.9

2.68%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.82 DOP 106

32.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$7.23 DOP 420

98.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$6.39 DOP 371

-34.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$7.81 DOP 454

54.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.55 DOP 148

42.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.82 DOP 47.79

91.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$2.93 DOP 170

-4.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.96 DOP 114

14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$2.35 DOP 136

-15.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$2.27 DOP 132

0.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.04 DOP 60.2

0.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.78 DOP 45.21

1.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$5.91 DOP 344

-46.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$10.91 DOP 634

115.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.57 DOP 150

12.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.53 DOP 147

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.66 DOP 38.20

-59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$3.48 DOP 202

-87.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$2.20 DOP 128

-79.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$5.82 DOP 338

4.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.27 DOP 73.7

-32.28%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$26.3K DOP 1.5M

1.06%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$32.0K DOP 1.9M

1.68%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$77.4 DOP 4,496

2.13%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$20.00 DOP 1,162

-79.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$36.71 DOP 2,133

-35.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$25.00 DOP 1,453

295.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$6.62 DOP 385

-39.43%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$266 DOP 15.5K

11.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$6,285 DOP 365.2K

5.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$60.0 DOP 3,484

-10.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$51.3 DOP 2,979

-25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$97.7 DOP 5,679

-9.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$114 DOP 6,600

-32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$468 DOP 27.2K

117.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$465 DOP 27.0K

46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$1,425 DOP 82.8K

143.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$1,300 DOP 75.6K

60.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,946 DOP 113.1K

40.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$1,802 DOP 104.7K

27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Sosua: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $468 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $51.0 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 16% 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 $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,797 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $468 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $266 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 $51.0 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,198 in Sosua versus $1,392 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 $1,198 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 16% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.