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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,329 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,280 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,232 in Vac.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 3% more expensive than in Vac, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Vac is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$19.40 Ft 6,171

-82.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$115 Ft 36.6K

-68.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$9.70 Ft 3,086

-41.13%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.39 Ft 760

11.72%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.58 Ft 503

10.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$1.32 Ft 419

-34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.24 Ft 711

31.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$2.38 Ft 758

89.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.30 Ft 414

24.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.47 Ft 469

58.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$2.32 Ft 740

-52.16%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.28 Ft 1,044

-32.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$8.52 Ft 2,709

107.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.10 Ft 1,940

-32.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$16.85 Ft 5,359

-27.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.91 Ft 607

94.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$2.16 Ft 688

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.11 Ft 672

8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$2.40 Ft 762

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.67 Ft 530

14.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.17 Ft 373

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.36 Ft 433

-25.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.51 Ft 164

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$7.79 Ft 2,479

-71.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$5.08 Ft 1,617

354.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.86 Ft 273

181.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.28 Ft 727

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.39 Ft 444

-80.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$30.20 Ft 9,608

-70.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.00 Ft 954

-84.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$1.61 Ft 512

-73.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$16.80 Ft 5,345

-66.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.84 Ft 586

-56.52%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$28.9K Ft 9.2M

-13.58%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$40.5K Ft 12.9M

-21.74%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$157 Ft 49.9K

-48.11%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$25.87 Ft 8,230

-74.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$22.02 Ft 7,006

-14.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$49.73 Ft 15.8K

14.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$17.35 Ft 5,518

7.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$8.45 Ft 2,688

-46.27%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$309 Ft 98.2K

55.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$6,805 Ft 2.2M

-16.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$90.6 Ft 28.8K

-49.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$32.35 Ft 10.3K

10.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$83.9 Ft 26.7K

-4.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$109 Ft 34.7K

-27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$528 Ft 168.1K

110.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$408 Ft 129.7K

71.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$866 Ft 275.5K

319.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$784 Ft 249.3K

121.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$3,145 Ft 1.0M

-11.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$2,657 Ft 845.4K

-13.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,438 Ft 457.4K

-88.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.67

106.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Vac: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $528 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 756% 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 $115 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $238, 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 3% 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 756% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $528 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $309 in Vac. 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 $1,329 in Vac versus $1,368 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 $1,329 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 3% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.