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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,133 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,803 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,472 in Vac.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 24% more expensive than in Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Vac is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$8.87 Ft 2,812

-61.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$45.64 Ft 14.5K

-29.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$8.49 Ft 2,689

-42.99%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.11 Ft 669

30.33%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.40 Ft 442

-1.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$1.03 Ft 326

-27.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.90 Ft 603

57.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.22 Ft 703

73.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.11 Ft 351

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.54 Ft 489

59.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.84 Ft 584

-36.41%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.61 Ft 827

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.49 Ft 3,006

52.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$5.64 Ft 1,786

-22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$11.68 Ft 3,701

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.90 Ft 602

95.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.99 Ft 630

-18.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.96 Ft 623

39.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$3.00 Ft 949

-25.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.13 Ft 358

69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.27 Ft 401

79.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.54 Ft 487

-31.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.52 Ft 164

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$6.82 Ft 2,162

-51.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.10 Ft 1,616

354.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.10 Ft 348

152.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.48 Ft 470

84.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.16 Ft 368

-76.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$25.26 Ft 8,004

-67.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.94 Ft 932

-83.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.15 Ft 366

-63.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$17.38 Ft 5,505

-64.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.76 Ft 559

-53.98%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$25.6K Ft 8.1M

3.85%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$31.0K Ft 9.8M

3.99%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$142 Ft 44.9K

-44.70%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$26.91 Ft 8,525

-84.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$19.83 Ft 6,283

22.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$46.75 Ft 14.8K

110.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$16.88 Ft 5,348

-62.44%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$7.39 Ft 2,342

-46.01%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$295 Ft 93.4K

3.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$6,744 Ft 2.1M

-1.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$70.4 Ft 22.3K

-23.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$27.02 Ft 8,561

39.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$73.8 Ft 23.4K

17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$85.6 Ft 27.1K

-10.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$423 Ft 134.1K

134.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$352 Ft 111.6K

90.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$783 Ft 248.2K

330.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$706 Ft 223.6K

190.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,150 Ft 998.1K

-10.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,379 Ft 753.8K

-6.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,465 Ft 464.3K

-88.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

7.4

79.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Vac: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $423 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 778% 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 $46.00 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $217, with Vac 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 Vac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vac wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 778% lower in Vac. 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 $423 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $295 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,133 in Vac versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,133 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vac hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Vac 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 Vac 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.