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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,013 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,562 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,111 in Tembisa.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 38% more expensive than Tembisa, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Tembisa is 24% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.40 Rp 60.2K
$8.50 R 138
-60.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.38 Rp 573.6K
$33.37 R 540
-2.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.00 Rp 88.6K
$4.82 R 78.1
3.73%
Cappuccino
$2.82 Rp 50.0K
$2.03 R 32.86
38.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 Rp 24.4K
$1.02 R 16.58
35.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 Rp 13.0K
$0.77 R 12.46
-5.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.98 Rp 52.8K
$2.21 R 35.79
34.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.97 Rp 70.3K
$2.57 R 41.67
54.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.79 Rp 31.8K
$1.10 R 17.84
62.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 Rp 43.7K
$1.00 R 16.21
146.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.20 Rp 21.2K
$1.59 R 25.73
-24.53%
Eggs
$2.39 Rp 42.3K
$2.51 R 40.61
-4.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.40 Rp 255.1K
$7.78 R 126
85.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.28 Rp 75.9K
$4.48 R 72.5
-4.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.82 Rp 209.4K
$6.68 R 108
76.95%
Apples (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 67.0K
$1.59 R 25.78
137.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 Rp 28.9K
$1.48 R 24.03
10.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.80 Rp 49.6K
$1.48 R 24.02
89.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.26 Rp 40.0K
$1.62 R 26.27
39.51%
Potato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.3K
$1.30 R 21.10
53.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.21 Rp 39.2K
$1.20 R 19.39
84.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 Rp 18.9K
$1.05 R 16.99
1.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.5K
$0.93 R 15.02
-18.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.13 Rp 55.4K
$2.86 R 46.34
9.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.81 Rp 421.9K
$5.22 R 84.5
356.13%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.84 Rp 50.3K
$1.32 R 21.39
115.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 Rp 49.2K
$1.66 R 26.85
67.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.27 Rp 4,726
$1.67 R 27.05
-83.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.37 Rp 148.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 8,034
$1.11 R 17.95
-59.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,578
$0.90 R 14.52
-52.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 Rp 105.9K
$4.08 R 66.0
46.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 Rp 14.2K
$1.22 R 19.80
-34.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.8K Rp 457.2M
$21.5K R 347.5K
20.22%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.8K Rp 563.4M
$24.2K R 392.2K
31.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.7 Rp 1.4M
$119 R 1,923
-32.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.14 Rp 73.3K
$35.14 R 569
-88.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.12 Rp 427.2K
$41.86 R 678
-42.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$97.8 Rp 1.7M
$30.52 R 494
220.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.64 Rp 117.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.04 Rp 71.5K
$6.69 R 108
-39.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 Rp 5.3M
$194 R 3,147
52.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,590 Rp 116.7M
$4,365 R 70.7K
50.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.1 Rp 976.8K
$50.3 R 814
9.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.51 Rp 682.1K
$32.85 R 532
17.23%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.1 Rp 1.5M
$89.3 R 1,446
-3.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.0 Rp 1.4M
$79.9 R 1,293
-2.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$985 Rp 17.5M
$360 R 5,826
173.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 11.8M
$329 R 5,328
101.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,446 Rp 61.0M
$699 R 11.3K
392.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,042 Rp 36.2M
$691 R 11.2K
195.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.1M
$867 R 14.0K
226.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,282 Rp 40.4M
$685 R 11.1K
233.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Tembisa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$169 Rp 3.0M
$586 R 9,483
-71.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.28
11.51
15.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $360 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tembisa pays 246% 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 $33.00 in Tembisa. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $176, with Tembisa cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tembisa cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Tembisa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ubud, Bali or Tembisa?
On paper, Tembisa earns 246% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Tembisa?
Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $360 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $194 in Tembisa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or Tembisa?
Dining out is cheaper in Tembisa – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for Ubud, Bali or Tembisa?
At $1,013 in Tembisa versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ubud, Bali or Tembisa more family-friendly?
For families, Tembisa 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.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Tembisa?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Tembisa are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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