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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,431 in Sosua.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,265 in Sosua.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,099 in Sosua.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 4% less than in Sosua, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Sosua 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$10.09 DOP 593

-65.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$51.5 DOP 3,024

-29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$7.84 DOP 461

-27.17%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.45 DOP 144

8.98%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.12 DOP 66.0

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.69 DOP 40.42

26.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.61 DOP 154

13.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.60 DOP 212

25.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.37 DOP 80.7

18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.58 DOP 93.1

47.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.69 DOP 40.67

60.87%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.04 DOP 120

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$7.41 DOP 436

138.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$5.72 DOP 336

-28.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.77 DOP 398

79.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$3.14 DOP 184

18.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.85 DOP 50.2

87.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.76 DOP 162

-17.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.29 DOP 75.8

51.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.80 DOP 106

6.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$2.28 DOP 134

2.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.70 DOP 41.00

44.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.41 DOP 23.95

34.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$5.42 DOP 318

-58.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$10.38 DOP 610

122.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$2.57 DOP 151

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.40 DOP 141

25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.38 DOP 199

-85.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$2.22 DOP 131

-80.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$6.05 DOP 355

-6.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.33 DOP 78.4

-39.85%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$24.1K DOP 1.4M

3.40%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$34.6K DOP 2.0M

-8.22%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$66.5 DOP 3,907

22.50%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$29.29 DOP 1,721

-77.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$34.18 DOP 2,008

-45.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$7.77 DOP 457

-41.57%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$260 DOP 15.3K

84.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$7,548 DOP 443.5K

-24.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$46.07 DOP 2,707

-1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$47.41 DOP 2,786

-24.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$89.6 DOP 5,263

-10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$129 DOP 7,580

-39.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$892 DOP 52.4K

24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$801 DOP 47.1K

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,765 DOP 103.7K

106.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$1,554 DOP 91.3K

11.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$1,862 DOP 109.4K

49.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,785 DOP 104.9K

28.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

13.56

1.62%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sosua: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $892 in Sosua. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $51.0 in Sosua. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $206, 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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Sosua. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $2,146 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $892 in Sosua. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $260 in Sosua. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $51.0 in Sosua. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,431 in Sosua, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Sosua. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Sosua. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.