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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $888 in Van.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,334 in Van.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,780 in Van.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 57% more expensive than in Van, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Van is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$6.52 ₺309

-47.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$17.84 ₺844

79.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$7.30 ₺346

-30.82%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$2.90 ₺137

-6.55%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.93 ₺44.01

49.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.24 ₺11.28

208.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$4.12 ₺195

-29.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.78 ₺179

0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.06 ₺50.1

68.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$0.78 ₺36.79

221.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$2.26 ₺107

-46.46%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$1.87 ₺88.5

26.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$9.36 ₺443

54.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$5.59 ₺265

-25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$16.73 ₺792

-27.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$1.05 ₺49.84

259.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.15 ₺102

-24.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.11 ₺52.6

144.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$0.91 ₺43.25

148.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$0.69 ₺32.71

179.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$0.59 ₺27.98

271.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$0.92 ₺43.39

10.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.53 ₺25.22

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$2.08 ₺98.3

52.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$10.53 ₺498

126.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$2.19 ₺104

26.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.49 ₺118

10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

$0.45 ₺21.17

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

$48.66 ₺2,303

-83.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$1.54 ₺73.0

-68.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$0.65 ₺30.90

-35.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$9.00 ₺426

-33.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.21 ₺57.4

-32.23%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$39.7K ₺1.9M

-33.07%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$42.3K ₺2.0M

-23.86%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$96.1 ₺4,549

-18.59%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$10.08 ₺477

-61.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$9.03 ₺427

164.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$30.54 ₺1,446

214.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$3.10 ₺147

29.35%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$603 ₺28.5K

-49.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$7,552 ₺357.4K

-13.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$69.9 ₺3,309

-20.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$30.81 ₺1,458

24.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$86.5 ₺4,092

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$51.4 ₺2,434

49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$321 ₺15.2K

206.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$224 ₺10.6K

204.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

$541 ₺25.6K

532.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

$375 ₺17.7K

453.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$1,340 ₺63.4K

106.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$835 ₺39.5K

168.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$526 ₺24.9K

-67.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

36.83

-63.94%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Van: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $321 in Van. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Van pays 212% 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 $18.00 in Van for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $219 per month, with Van 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 Van: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Van wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Van the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 212% lower in Van. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $321 in Van. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $603 in Van. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Van versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Van but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Van the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Van delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Van hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Van 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 Van gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.