Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $320 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$320

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in St John

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in St John actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $320 in St John.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
St John $320

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $926 in St John.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
St John $926

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,533 in St John.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
St John $1,533

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 323% more expensive than in St John.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.3K

$19.79 $19.79

-83.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 629.5K

$176 $176

-80.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.8K

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.2K

$7.03 $7.03

-62.73%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.1K

$3.07 $3.07

-43.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.99 $1.99

-59.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

$8.23 $8.23

-67.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.8K

$7.88 $7.88

-44.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.4K

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.6K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 318.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 65.0K

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.7K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.7K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.4K

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.0K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,536

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 398.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.4K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.7K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,123

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,490

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,759

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.57 $1.57

-47.13%

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

$23.9K Rp 431.0M

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

$32.8K Rp 591.8M

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

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

$6.56 Rp 118.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 335.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 976.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.8K

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 101.0M

$13.5K $13.5K

-58.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 822.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 631.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 49.0M

$12.7K $12.7K

-78.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$5,157 $5,157

-96.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.05

95.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for St John: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

St John

–

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

St John

–

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

St John pays about 31 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out at a mid-range restaurant: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $176 in St John for two.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

14:54 2:54 PM

12 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

2,743

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18,050 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,224 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali St John 18,920 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
St John

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and St John differ by about 323% in total monthly costs ($1,353 vs $320 including rent). St John is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $176 in St John. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $320 in St John – a 323% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $320 in St John versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in St John but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes St John 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 St John are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.