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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,147 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,838 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,529 in Tsukuba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than in Tsukuba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Tsukuba is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.49 ¥1,013

-47.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$33.44 ¥5,218

8.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.04 ¥787

13.29%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.81 ¥439

-4.98%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.98 ¥153

78.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.81 ¥126

7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.13 ¥333

38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.28 ¥512

37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.47 ¥230

10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.71 ¥267

36.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$3.18 ¥497

-65.09%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.04 ¥318

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$12.03 ¥1,877

47.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.23 ¥972

-34.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$14.97 ¥2,336

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$5.70 ¥889

-34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$2.85 ¥445

-44.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.89 ¥451

-21.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$4.32 ¥674

-54.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$2.67 ¥417

-28.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$2.75 ¥429

-15.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.80 ¥125

26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.77 ¥119

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.97 ¥620

-43.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$6.57 ¥1,026

251.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.81 ¥282

33.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.09 ¥325

43.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.55 ¥242

-82.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$49.63 ¥7,744

-81.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.17 ¥494

-84.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$2.58 ¥402

-83.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$20.96 ¥3,270

-73.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.09 ¥170

-26.61%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$22.4K ¥3.5M

11.42%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$18.8K ¥2.9M

68.50%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$137 ¥21.4K

-40.73%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$24.86 ¥3,879

-73.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$33.10 ¥5,165

-43.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$56.9 ¥8,872

0.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$12.98 ¥2,025

-65.02%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$97.6 ¥15.2K

392.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$15.2K ¥2.4M

-62.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$49.49 ¥7,722

-8.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$33.07 ¥5,160

8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$39.12 ¥6,104

105.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$42.51 ¥6,632

85.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$474 ¥74.0K

134.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$292 ¥45.6K

138.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,138 ¥177.6K

219.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$648 ¥101.1K

168.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$3,469 ¥541.3K

-19.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,579 ¥246.4K

45.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,495 ¥233.3K

-88.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

589.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $474 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 790% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $33.00 in Tsukuba. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $296, with Ubud, Bali 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 Tsukuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Tsukuba differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,147 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 790% lower in Tsukuba. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $474 in Tsukuba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tsukuba – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,147 in Tsukuba – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,147 in Tsukuba versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tsukuba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba 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 Tsukuba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.