Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Traverse City, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,666 in Traverse City, MI, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Traverse City, MI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,666
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Traverse City, MI

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Traverse City, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Traverse City, MI $2,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,947 in Traverse City, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Traverse City, MI $3,947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,228 in Traverse City, MI.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Traverse City, MI $5,228

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 49% less than in Traverse City, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Traverse City, MI 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$21.49 $21.49
-84.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$77.4 $77.4
-54.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$11.34 $11.34
-49.74%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$4.78 $4.78
-45.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$2.48 $2.48
-30.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$2.08 $2.08
-61.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$4.90 $4.90
-45.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$6.53 $6.53
-33.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$0.73 $0.73
115.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$3.07 $3.07
-28.66%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$4.36 $4.36
-72.94%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$2.67 $2.67
-19.10%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$19.14 $19.14
-7.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$12.34 $12.34
-69.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$22.33 $22.33
-46.48%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$6.84 $6.84
-47.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.44 $1.44
10.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$3.84 $3.84
-39.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$6.69 $6.69
-71.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$2.70 $2.70
-34.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$3.15 $3.15
-26.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$2.36 $2.36
-57.63%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$2.64 $2.64
-79.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$5.96 $5.96
-61.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$15.02 $15.02
46.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$2.00 $2.00
17.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$7.01 $7.01
-57.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$6.02 $6.02
-96.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$30.60 $30.60
-70.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.02 $1.02
-18.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$35.0K $35.0K
-31.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$26.0K $26.0K
26.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$116 $116
-31.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$37.85 $37.85
-82.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$68.8 $68.8
-72.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$62.7 $62.7
-13.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$9.81 $9.81
-56.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$1,017 $1,017
-51.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$11.3K $11.3K
-50.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$58.2 $58.2
-21.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$40.93 $40.93
-14.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$101 $101
-22.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$87.4 $87.4
-10.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$1,958 $1,958
-42.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$1,404 $1,404
-52.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$3,796 $3,796
-4.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$2,317 $2,317
-26.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$3,395 $3,395
-19.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$3,324 $3,324
-32.59%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Traverse City, MI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$2,796 $2,796
-94.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.32
118.04%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Traverse City, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Traverse City, MI
$1.4K 109% $731
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Traverse City, MI
$453 57.9% $166
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Traverse City, MI
$129 21.2% $23
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Traverse City, MI
$319 200% $213
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Traverse City, MI
$223 112% $118
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Traverse City, MI
$82 31.4% $20
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Traverse City, MI
$55 * 340% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Traverse City, MI pays 1580% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $77.0 in Traverse City, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $453 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI
🕒 Local time
23:41 11:41 PM
11:41 11:41 AM
12 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
15,678
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Traverse City, MI 15,510 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Traverse City, MI

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Traverse City, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Traverse City, MI?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Traverse City, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Traverse City, MI?
On paper, salaries run 1580% lower in Traverse City, MI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Traverse City, MI?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Traverse City, MI?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Traverse City, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Traverse City, MI?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $77.0 in Traverse City, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Traverse City, MI?
At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Traverse City, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Traverse City, MI?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Traverse City, MI?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Traverse City, MI 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 more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Traverse City, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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