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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,572 in Swords, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,582 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,724 in Swords, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,757 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,876 in Swords, rent included.

Ubud, Bali is about 45% cheaper than Swords, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Swords sit above the global median โ€“ Ubud, Bali by 5%, Swords by 92%.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.42 Rpย 58.7K
$18.36 โ‚ฌ15.66
-81.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.96 Rpย 566.5K
$94.5 โ‚ฌ80.6
-65.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.08 Rpย 87.3K
$10.48 โ‚ฌ8.94
-51.53%
Cappuccino
$2.82 Rpย 48.5K
$4.40 โ‚ฌ3.75
-35.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.37 Rpย 23.5K
$2.34 โ‚ฌ2.00
-41.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 Rpย 12.2K
$1.56 โ‚ฌ1.33
-54.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.97 Rpย 51.0K
$6.96 โ‚ฌ5.93
-57.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 Rpย 67.2K
$6.19 โ‚ฌ5.28
-36.83%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.75 Rpย 30.0K
$1.45 โ‚ฌ1.24
20.69%
White Bread (500g)
$2.52 Rpย 43.2K
$2.12 โ‚ฌ1.81
18.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.21 Rpย 20.8K
$2.00 โ‚ฌ1.71
-39.50%
Eggs
$2.33 Rpย 40.1K
$4.03 โ‚ฌ3.44
-42.18%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.50 Rpย 249.2K
$11.28 โ‚ฌ9.62
28.55%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.36 Rpย 74.9K
$10.56 โ‚ฌ9.01
-58.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.05 Rpย 207.0K
$11.98 โ‚ฌ10.22
0.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.82 Rpย 65.6K
$2.92 โ‚ฌ2.49
30.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 Rpย 27.7K
$1.98 โ‚ฌ1.69
-18.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 Rpย 46.5K
$2.75 โ‚ฌ2.35
-1.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.23 Rpย 38.3K
$3.42 โ‚ฌ2.92
-34.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.90 Rpย 32.6K
$1.38 โ‚ฌ1.17
37.68%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 Rpย 37.5K
$1.43 โ‚ฌ1.22
52.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.03 Rpย 17.7K
$1.34 โ‚ฌ1.14
-23.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rpย 13.3K
$1.66 โ‚ฌ1.42
-53.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.18 Rpย 54.7K
$19.62 โ‚ฌ16.74
-83.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.23 Rpย 399.2K
$14.15 โ‚ฌ12.07
64.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rpย 48.9K
$3.63 โ‚ฌ3.10
-21.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 Rpย 46.7K
$3.98 โ‚ฌ3.40
-31.66%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rpย 5,022
$2.41 โ‚ฌ2.06
-87.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.43 Rpย 144.8K
$99.8 โ‚ฌ85.2
-91.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.49 Rpย 8,344
$4.87 โ‚ฌ4.15
-89.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.45 Rpย 7,812
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.78
-78.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.28 Rpย 107.8K
$38.46 โ‚ฌ32.80
-83.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rpย 14.6K
$2.00 โ‚ฌ1.71
-57.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.1K Rpย 447.8M
$43.1K โ‚ฌ36.8K
-39.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.5K Rpย 541.8M
$39.8K โ‚ฌ33.9K
-20.78%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.8 Rpย 1.4M
$280 โ‚ฌ239
-71.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.09 Rpย 70.3K
$23.23 โ‚ฌ19.81
-82.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.06 Rpย 413.6K
$54.3 โ‚ฌ46.32
-55.70%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$96.2 Rpย 1.7M
$41.03 โ‚ฌ35.00
134.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.53 Rpย 112.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.13 Rpย 71.1K
$14.12 โ‚ฌ12.05
-70.75%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 Rpย 5.1M
$1,075 โ‚ฌ917
-72.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,661 Rpย 114.5M
$8,257 โ‚ฌ7,044
-19.33%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.0 Rpย 944.5K
$90.9 โ‚ฌ77.6
-39.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.75 Rpย 666.0K
$39.66 โ‚ฌ33.83
-2.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.6 Rpย 1.5M
$99.8 โ‚ฌ85.1
-10.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 Rpย 1.4M
$106 โ‚ฌ90.7
-25.77%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,018 Rpย 17.5M
$1,467 โ‚ฌ1,252
-30.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$660 Rpย 11.3M
$1,255 โ‚ฌ1,070
-47.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,435 Rpย 59.0M
$2,426 โ‚ฌ2,069
41.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,053 Rpย 35.3M
$1,979 โ‚ฌ1,688
3.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,981 Rpย 51.2M
$5,018 โ‚ฌ4,281
-40.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,368 Rpย 40.7M
$5,068 โ‚ฌ4,323
-53.28%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Swords
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$172 Rpย 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.28
4.04
228.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Last update for Swords: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,467 in Swords. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Ubud, Bali versus $95 in Swords. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $299 vs $324 โ€“ making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Swords: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and Swords compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, $2,572 in Swords โ€“ roughly 83% apart. Swords costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Swords?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,112 per month in Ubud, Bali and $3,859 in Swords. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled โ€“ not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Swords?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do commuting costs compare in Ubud, Bali and Swords?
Public transport costs about 1084% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Swords?
Kindergarten costs $297 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,075 in Swords. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,408, than in Swords at $2,572. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Swords it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Swords?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,408 in Ubud, Bali to $2,572 in Swords. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ubud, Bali or Swords safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison โ€“ central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Swords?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Swords makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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