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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,770 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,413 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 25% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ulaanbaatar is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$5.38 MNT 19.3K

-35.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$28.93 MNT 103.7K

11.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$5.28 MNT 18.9K

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.55 MNT 9,154

7.84%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.76 MNT 2,714

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.51 MNT 1,830

47.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$2.10 MNT 7,526

42.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.34 MNT 8,379

64.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.43 MNT 5,132

21.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.98 MNT 3,522

151.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.11 MNT 7,567

-44.55%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.09 MNT 7,499

16.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$15.62 MNT 56.0K

-7.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$5.77 MNT 20.7K

-24.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$6.48 MNT 23.2K

84.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$3.17 MNT 11.4K

17.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.67 MNT 9,554

-38.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$4.28 MNT 15.4K

-35.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.67 MNT 9,581

-16.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.72 MNT 2,589

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$1.01 MNT 3,625

125.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.29 MNT 4,638

-17.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.71 MNT 2,534

1.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.77 MNT 6,342

85.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$10.38 MNT 37.2K

123.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.34 MNT 4,795

107.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.70 MNT 6,092

60.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.28 MNT 991

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$8.81 MNT 31.6K

-7.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$0.56 MNT 2,011

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.56 MNT 2,024

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$4.64 MNT 16.6K

34.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.08 MNT 3,860

-25.00%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$30.5K MNT 109.2M

-12.66%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$18.4K MNT 65.9M

75.04%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$82.7 MNT 296.4K

-5.27%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$7.41 MNT 26.5K

-45.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$16.71 MNT 59.9K

45.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$62.3 MNT 223.3K

58.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$13.72 MNT 49.2K

-53.79%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

6.12%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$175 MNT 628.2K

74.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$6,474 MNT 23.2M

2.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$85.9 MNT 307.7K

-36.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$69.8 MNT 250.3K

-45.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$105 MNT 375.0K

-17.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$160 MNT 573.3K

-52.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$511 MNT 1.8M

93.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$405 MNT 1.5M

66.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$1,501 MNT 5.4M

124.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$757 MNT 2.7M

170.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$1,934 MNT 6.9M

45.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$957 MNT 3.4M

132.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$596 MNT 2.1M

-72.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

121.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 257% 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 $29.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $247 per month, with Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ulaanbaatar wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulaanbaatar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 257% lower in Ulaanbaatar. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $511 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $175 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,127 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ulaanbaatar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ulaanbaatar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ulaanbaatar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,127 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ulaanbaatar hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ulaanbaatar 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 Ulaanbaatar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.