Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $509 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Surakarta
Learn more

Surakarta Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Surakarta

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$509

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Surakarta

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 Surakarta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $509 in Surakarta, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Surakarta $509

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $817 in Surakarta, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Surakarta $817

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,124 in Surakarta, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Surakarta $1,124

Ubud, Bali costs about 169% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Surakarta is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$1.63 Rp 29.4K

104.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$11.59 Rp 208.7K

203.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$3.20 Rp 57.6K

81.25%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.55 Rp 27.9K

76.13%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.54 Rp 9,772

203.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.25 Rp 4,534

232.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

91.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

55.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$0.87 Rp 15.6K

72.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

215.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

53.25%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$0.96 Rp 17.3K

122.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$7.62 Rp 137.2K

129.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$1.71 Rp 30.7K

135.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$5.40 Rp 97.3K

126.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$2.01 Rp 36.3K

76.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

23.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

23.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

40.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

37.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

35.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.58 Rp 10.5K

70.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.43 Rp 7,732

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.97 Rp 35.5K

15.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$8.44 Rp 151.9K

172.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$1.69 Rp 30.4K

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.40 Rp 7,244

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$21.88 Rp 393.8K

-59.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.50 Rp 9,071

-4.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.43 Rp 7,709

6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$2.69 Rp 48.3K

102.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

15.79%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$24.5K Rp 440.7M

0.35%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$32.3K Rp 582.1M

-3.55%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

7.07%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$2.10 Rp 37.8K

207.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$18.23 Rp 328.2K

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$15.74 Rp 283.3K

254.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$8.41 Rp 151.3K

115.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

126.94%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$33.42 Rp 601.5K

1375.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$1,845 Rp 33.2M

211.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$59.1 Rp 1.1M

-21.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$35.67 Rp 642.0K

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$70.2 Rp 1.3M

12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$64.5 Rp 1.2M

21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$168 Rp 3.0M

581.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$56.6 Rp 1.0M

1094.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$338 Rp 6.1M

937.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$192 Rp 3.5M

785.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$158 Rp 2.8M

4.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.5

83.73%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Surakarta

$57 11.1% 91.6% $619

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Surakarta

$148 29.2% 48.9% $142

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Surakarta

$57 11.2% 47.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Surakarta

$98 19.2% 9.4% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Surakarta

$103 20.3% 4% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Surakarta

$20 3.9% 69.7% $45

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Surakarta

$26 5.1% 108% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $168 in Surakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Ubud, Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $12.00 in Surakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $148 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Surakarta

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

503,421

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Surakarta 500 km

From you

Ubud, Bali
Surakarta

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 Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, $509 in Surakarta – roughly 169% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $763 in Surakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $33.42 in Surakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $509, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $509 in Surakarta to $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Surakarta. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.