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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,122 in Vac.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,777 in Vac.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,431 in Vac.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than Vac, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Vac is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$8.80 Ft 2,685

-59.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$46.58 Ft 14.2K

-29.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$8.45 Ft 2,577

-41.42%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.14 Ft 653

26.64%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$1.44 Ft 438

-6.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$1.08 Ft 329

-35.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.89 Ft 577

54.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.28 Ft 694

73.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.06 Ft 324

70.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.54 Ft 471

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.92 Ft 585

-39.58%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$2.69 Ft 820

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$9.15 Ft 2,790

60.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$5.83 Ft 1,777

-25.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$11.88 Ft 3,625

2.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.87 Ft 571

105.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.89 Ft 577

-17.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.04 Ft 623

38.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$3.12 Ft 952

-25.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.10 Ft 335

73.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.25 Ft 382

76.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.50 Ft 457

-32.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.56 Ft 172

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$6.65 Ft 2,029

-50.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$5.44 Ft 1,658

336.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$1.09 Ft 333

155.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.41 Ft 431

102.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$1.14 Ft 347

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$24.88 Ft 7,588

-67.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$2.97 Ft 904

-84.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.11 Ft 337

-59.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$17.31 Ft 5,280

-64.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.77 Ft 539

-55.37%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$26.2K Ft 8.0M

-0.33%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$30.6K Ft 9.3M

5.05%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$141 Ft 42.9K

-43.18%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$26.12 Ft 7,965

-84.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$19.74 Ft 6,021

19.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$47.11 Ft 14.4K

109.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$16.98 Ft 5,177

-60.95%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$7.29 Ft 2,224

-43.07%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$300 Ft 91.4K

1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$6,697 Ft 2.0M

-1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$71.0 Ft 21.7K

-21.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$27.75 Ft 8,463

38.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$73.4 Ft 22.4K

20.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.9 Ft 25.9K

-8.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$436 Ft 132.8K

131.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$341 Ft 104.1K

97.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$766 Ft 233.7K

349.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$705 Ft 215.1K

189.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$3,233 Ft 985.9K

-12.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$2,480 Ft 756.4K

-8.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,534 Ft 468.0K

-89.23%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Vac: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $436 in Vac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 829% 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 $47.00 in Vac. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $219, 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 26% 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, Vac earns 829% 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 $436 in Vac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $300 in Vac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,122 in Vac versus $1,419 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 $1,122 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 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.