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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $743 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,214 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,685 in Timbo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 88% more expensive than in Timbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Timbo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$4.88 R$24.99

-30.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$38.26 R$196

0.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$3.90 R$19.98

41.54%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$1.89 R$9.69

39.68%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$1.04 R$5.34

60.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.65 R$3.35

18.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.78 R$9.12

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.29 R$11.75

86.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$0.90 R$4.64

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.43 R$7.33

55.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.83 R$4.28

36.14%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.82 R$9.32

14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$7.93 R$40.62

119.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$3.35 R$17.15

15.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$7.10 R$36.38

76.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.59 R$8.14

127.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$0.66 R$3.38

136.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$0.76 R$3.88

209.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.19 R$6.11

73.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.81 R$4.15

134.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.73 R$3.73

220.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.60 R$3.08

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.86 R$4.38

-36.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$1.52 R$7.81

48.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$4.96 R$25.43

380.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$1.08 R$5.55

113.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.98 R$10.16

41.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.99 R$5.10

-72.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$42.41 R$217

-79.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$1.27 R$6.52

-62.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.75 R$3.84

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$5.95 R$30.50

-3.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$0.92 R$4.73

-17.39%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$21.8K R$111.5K

12.52%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$26.0K R$133.3K

23.45%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$55.3 R$283

51.14%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$12.57 R$64.4

-48.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$21.98 R$113

-13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$24.70 R$127

126.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$28.51 R$146

-34.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$5.72 R$29.30

-25.17%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$233 R$1,195

108.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$2,758 R$14.1K

112.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$30.59 R$157

48.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$38.75 R$199

-6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$58.8 R$302

39.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$49.03 R$251

63.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$348 R$1,784

220.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$228 R$1,169

207.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$651 R$3,334

443.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$449 R$2,299

292.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$1,609 R$8,245

75.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,121 R$5,746

104.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$669 R$3,428

-74.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

25.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Timbo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $348 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Timbo pays 294% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $153 per month, with Timbo 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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Timbo differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $743 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 294% lower in Timbo. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $348 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $233 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 92% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $743 in Timbo versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.