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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,925 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,691 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$5.54 MNT 19.9K

-39.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$32.58 MNT 117.1K

9.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$5.40 MNT 19.4K

4.26%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.38 MNT 8,567

18.49%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.83 MNT 2,974

110.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.57 MNT 2,032

40.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.31 MNT 8,312

31.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.25 MNT 11.7K

32.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.45 MNT 5,219

11.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$0.97 MNT 3,502

134.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$2.06 MNT 7,402

-43.20%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.15 MNT 7,747

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$12.41 MNT 44.6K

42.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.85 MNT 17.4K

-16.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$7.16 MNT 25.7K

70.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$3.19 MNT 11.5K

13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$2.38 MNT 8,547

-31.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$3.64 MNT 13.1K

-36.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$3.12 MNT 11.2K

-37.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.70 MNT 2,499

162.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.04 MNT 3,756

127.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.75 MNT 6,280

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.79 MNT 2,847

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$1.77 MNT 6,353

29.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.61 MNT 38.1K

117.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.50 MNT 5,388

56.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.72 MNT 6,200

78.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.29 MNT 1,045

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$16.54 MNT 59.5K

-43.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$0.51 MNT 1,846

-3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.54 MNT 1,929

-12.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$6.23 MNT 22.4K

-10.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.06 MNT 3,803

-23.58%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$27.3K MNT 98.3M

-8.54%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$34.5K MNT 124.0M

-9.93%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$69.8 MNT 250.8K

18.59%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$7.47 MNT 26.8K

-13.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$13.90 MNT 50.0K

35.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$67.1 MNT 241.1K

-17.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$18.23 MNT 65.5K

-0.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

5.39%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$813 MNT 2.9M

-39.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$8,436 MNT 30.3M

-29.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$83.6 MNT 300.7K

-44.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$44.65 MNT 160.5K

-18.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$105 MNT 377.1K

-23.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$190 MNT 683.9K

-58.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$586 MNT 2.1M

90.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$452 MNT 1.6M

53.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,695 MNT 6.1M

114.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$1,020 MNT 3.7M

67.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,928 MNT 6.9M

43.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$955 MNT 3.4M

140.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$592 MNT 2.1M

-71.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.32

33.53%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 254% 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 Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $237 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 19% 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 254% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $586 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $813 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,160 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,378 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 $1,160 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 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.