Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Surat Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Surat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $913 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $951 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $989 in Surat.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 54% more expensive than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Surat is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$3.57 ₹344

-3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$11.68 ₹1,125

176.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$3.41 ₹329

41.94%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$1.70 ₹164

61.76%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.42 ₹40.54

228.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.17 ₹16.79

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

$3.29 ₹317

-9.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$4.13 ₹397

-6.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.74 ₹71.5

135.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$0.53 ₹50.9

364.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$0.67 ₹65.0

74.63%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$0.99 ₹95.1

145.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$5.14 ₹495

182.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$3.23 ₹311

34.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$1.50 ₹144

148.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$0.65 ₹62.6

150.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$0.96 ₹92.7

185.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$0.67 ₹64.7

234.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$0.36 ₹34.27

433.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$0.40 ₹38.42

470.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.55 ₹52.9

92.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.34 ₹32.88

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$3.89 ₹374

-15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

$7.72 ₹743

200.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$2.68 ₹258

3.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$4.08 ₹393

-33.09%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$8.53 ₹821

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.22 ₹21.11

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

$5.97 ₹574

35.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$0.95 ₹91.4

-49.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$1.15 ₹111

440.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.19 ₹114

-31.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$11.7K ₹1.1M

127.96%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$21.6K ₹2.1M

48.71%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$37.81 ₹3,641

107.22%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$3.36 ₹323

21.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$7.79 ₹750

212.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$17.98 ₹1,731

448.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

$6.72 ₹647

-5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$2.87 ₹276

39.02%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$48.12 ₹4,633

533.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

$1,299 ₹125.1K

411.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$23.93 ₹2,304

126.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$24.85 ₹2,393

52.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$42.24 ₹4,067

105.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$42.05 ₹4,049

81.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$243 ₹23.4K

307.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$556 ₹53.6K

20.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$495 ₹47.7K

581.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$278 ₹26.8K

637.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$697 ₹67.1K

302.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$307 ₹29.6K

625.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$323 ₹31.1K

-48.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.2

44.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Surat: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $243 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surat pays 93% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $115 per month, with Surat cheaper across the board.

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 Surat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surat is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 93% lower in Surat. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $243 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $48.12 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $913 in Surat versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Surat but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Surat the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surat is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Surat 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 Surat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.