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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $823 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $851 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $879 in Surat.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 66% more expensive than in Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Surat is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$3.09 ₹296

11.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$10.42 ₹1,000

248.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$3.11 ₹298

83.60%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.85 ₹178

44.32%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.37 ₹35.15

372.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.16 ₹15.30

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.95 ₹283

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.12 ₹299

44.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.70 ₹66.7

131.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.50 ₹47.92

366.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.67 ₹64.0

65.67%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.97 ₹93.0

126.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$4.39 ₹421

302.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.71 ₹260

51.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.67 ₹160

122.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.58 ₹55.5

174.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$0.78 ₹74.7

192.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.58 ₹55.3

236.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.34 ₹33.07

461.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.40 ₹38.33

482.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.45 ₹42.89

124.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.32 ₹31.10

71.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.99 ₹479

-55.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$7.43 ₹712

210.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.83 ₹175

32.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.97 ₹285

1.01%

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

$6.01 ₹577

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.22 ₹20.97

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$5.25 ₹504

71.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.54 ₹52.1

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.20 ₹19.14

115.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$1.07 ₹102

427.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.13 ₹108

-29.20%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$11.9K ₹1.1M

109.91%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$18.4K ₹1.8M

71.94%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$37.16 ₹3,566

119.21%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$3.67 ₹352

76.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$7.39 ₹709

153.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$18.59 ₹1,783

205.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$5.29 ₹507

254.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$2.80 ₹269

62.14%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$32.56 ₹3,124

1376.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$861 ₹82.6K

563.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$22.53 ₹2,162

102.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$24.73 ₹2,373

45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$40.68 ₹3,903

97.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$33.29 ₹3,194

136.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$221 ₹21.2K

404.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$496 ₹47.6K

40.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$384 ₹36.8K

847.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$199 ₹19.1K

773.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$660 ₹63.3K

321.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$307 ₹29.4K

646.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$313 ₹30.1K

-46.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.17

50.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Surat: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $221 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surat pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $100 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 87% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $221 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $32.56 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 194% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $823 in Surat versus $1,368 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 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.