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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,148 in Tsukuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,829 in Tsukuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,511 in Tsukuba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 24% more expensive than Tsukuba, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Tsukuba is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$4.24 ¥678

-16.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$36.23 ¥5,795

-9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.42 ¥867

-8.67%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.83 ¥452

-4.24%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.92 ¥147

45.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.81 ¥130

-13.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.99 ¥318

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.05 ¥488

29.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.56 ¥250

16.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.74 ¥279

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$2.50 ¥401

-53.60%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.20 ¥353

11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$8.30 ¥1,328

77.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$6.07 ¥972

-28.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$11.14 ¥1,782

8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$5.90 ¥943

-34.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$3.03 ¥485

-48.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$3.93 ¥629

-27.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.05 ¥328

13.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$3.39 ¥542

-43.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$3.46 ¥553

-36.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.07 ¥172

-5.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.86 ¥138

-9.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$4.00 ¥641

-17.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$9.42 ¥1,506

152.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.74 ¥279

60.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.06 ¥330

38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$2.49 ¥399

-89.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$54.4 ¥8,697

-85.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$3.44 ¥551

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$2.89 ¥462

-84.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$21.87 ¥3,499

-72.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.18 ¥189

-33.05%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$21.4K ¥3.4M

22.32%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$15.4K ¥2.5M

108.66%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$141 ¥22.6K

-43.33%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$27.94 ¥4,469

-85.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$34.60 ¥5,535

-32.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$60.2 ¥9,624

64.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$13.79 ¥2,206

-51.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$13.60 ¥2,175

-69.49%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$136 ¥21.8K

123.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$11.9K ¥1.9M

-44.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$41.80 ¥6,685

32.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$29.96 ¥4,792

27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$42.14 ¥6,741

110.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$96.0 ¥15.3K

-18.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$503 ¥80.4K

100.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$317 ¥50.8K

112.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$1,188 ¥190.0K

189.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$697 ¥111.4K

192.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$4,365 ¥698.2K

-34.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$2,137 ¥341.8K

5.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,413 ¥226.1K

-88.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

564.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tsukuba: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $503 in Tsukuba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tsukuba pays 755% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in Tsukuba. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $278, with Tsukuba 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 24% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,148 including rent). Tsukuba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tsukuba earns 755% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $503 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 $36.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,148 in Tsukuba – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,148 in Tsukuba versus $1,419 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 24% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.