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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $888 in Surat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $942 in Surat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $996 in Surat.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 60% more expensive than Surat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Surat is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$3.58 ₹341

-0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$11.41 ₹1,087

186.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$3.42 ₹326

44.74%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.74 ₹166

55.75%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.40 ₹37.82

235.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.20 ₹19.44

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$3.13 ₹298

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$3.95 ₹377

0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.73 ₹69.6

147.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.53 ₹50.3

375.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.67 ₹64.3

73.13%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.03 ₹98.0

138.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$5.13 ₹489

186.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.11 ₹296

38.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.43 ₹137

168.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.64 ₹61.1

143.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$0.95 ₹90.8

197.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.61 ₹58.1

281.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.36 ₹34.22

430.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.44 ₹41.69

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.60 ₹56.9

68.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.35 ₹32.92

122.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$3.86 ₹368

-13.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$7.56 ₹720

214.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$2.57 ₹245

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$4.01 ₹382

-28.68%

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

$8.42 ₹802

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.24 ₹22.86

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$5.65 ₹538

42.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.97 ₹92.7

-52.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$1.18 ₹113

416.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.13 ₹108

-30.09%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$11.6K ₹1.1M

125.62%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$21.5K ₹2.0M

49.65%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.31 ₹3,649

108.67%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$3.37 ₹321

20.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$7.72 ₹736

204.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$17.76 ₹1,691

455.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$6.74 ₹642

-1.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$2.90 ₹276

43.10%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$48.91 ₹4,659

521.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,294 ₹123.2K

411.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$24.00 ₹2,286

131.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$24.62 ₹2,345

55.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$42.46 ₹4,045

108.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$42.48 ₹4,047

83.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$241 ₹23.0K

317.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$557 ₹53.1K

21.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$506 ₹48.2K

580.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$275 ₹26.2K

642.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$693 ₹66.1K

309.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$306 ₹29.2K

639.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$327 ₹31.2K

-49.53%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Surat: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $241 in Surat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surat pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Surat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $113 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 60% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Surat earns 98% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $241 in Surat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $48.91 in Surat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 168% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Surat versus $1,419 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 60% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.