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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,804 in Ulaanbaatar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,446 in Ulaanbaatar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 22% more expensive than Ulaanbaatar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Ulaanbaatar is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$5.62 MNT 20.1K

-36.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$29.99 MNT 107.2K

9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

-10.97%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.64 MNT 9,447

2.65%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.75 MNT 2,693

78.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.48 MNT 1,705

45.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$2.11 MNT 7,547

38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.31 MNT 8,244

71.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.49 MNT 5,317

21.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.98 MNT 3,489

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$2.14 MNT 7,648

-45.79%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.17 MNT 7,771

13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$16.06 MNT 57.4K

-8.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$5.56 MNT 19.9K

-22.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.27 MNT 22.4K

93.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$3.10 MNT 11.1K

23.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.65 MNT 9,461

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$4.44 MNT 15.9K

-36.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$2.68 MNT 9,566

-13.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.75 MNT 2,698

154.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.02 MNT 3,662

115.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.27 MNT 4,534

-20.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.73 MNT 2,624

6.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$1.79 MNT 6,384

85.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$9.67 MNT 34.6K

145.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.39 MNT 4,970

100.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.71 MNT 6,132

67.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.28 MNT 987

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$8.61 MNT 30.8K

-6.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$0.62 MNT 2,210

-25.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.61 MNT 2,189

-26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$4.76 MNT 17.0K

28.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.03 MNT 3,694

-23.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$30.2K MNT 108.0M

-13.45%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$18.6K MNT 66.4M

73.04%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$81.4 MNT 291.0K

-1.77%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$7.77 MNT 27.8K

-47.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$16.99 MNT 60.7K

38.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$60.5 MNT 216.1K

63.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.47 MNT 48.2K

-50.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$3.76 MNT 13.5K

10.37%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$177 MNT 632.8K

71.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$6,504 MNT 23.3M

1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$84.3 MNT 301.5K

-34.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$69.5 MNT 248.6K

-44.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$105 MNT 375.2K

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$161 MNT 577.2K

-51.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$512 MNT 1.8M

96.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$405 MNT 1.4M

66.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,472 MNT 5.3M

133.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$740 MNT 2.6M

175.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$1,967 MNT 7.0M

44.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$953 MNT 3.4M

137.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$601 MNT 2.1M

-72.51%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ulaanbaatar: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulaanbaatar pays 264% 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 $30.00 in Ulaanbaatar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 22% 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, Ulaanbaatar earns 264% 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 $512 in Ulaanbaatar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $177 in Ulaanbaatar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,161 in Ulaanbaatar versus $1,419 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 $1,161 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 22% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.