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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $906 in Van.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,361 in Van.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,816 in Van.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 55% more expensive than Van, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Van is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$6.32 ₺284

-45.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$17.60 ₺791

87.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$7.51 ₺338

-32.36%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$2.97 ₺133

-5.05%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$0.90 ₺40.60

52.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.26 ₺11.79

173.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$4.24 ₺190

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$3.85 ₺173

1.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$1.09 ₺49.21

60.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$0.78 ₺35.21

223.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$2.31 ₺104

-47.62%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$1.86 ₺83.6

25.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$9.45 ₺425

53.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$5.52 ₺248

-21.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$16.20 ₺728

-25.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$1.09 ₺49.11

250.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$2.17 ₺97.7

-25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.06 ₺47.69

154.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$0.87 ₺38.92

156.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.68 ₺30.48

179.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$0.59 ₺26.59

269.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$0.90 ₺40.67

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.52 ₺23.54

48.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$2.05 ₺92.2

55.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$13.45 ₺605

72.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$2.20 ₺99.0

29.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$2.57 ₺116

5.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$0.41 ₺18.55

-29.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$48.71 ₺2,189

-82.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$1.56 ₺70.2

-68.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$0.62 ₺27.71

-27.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$8.62 ₺388

-27.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.19 ₺53.5

-28.57%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$40.0K ₺1.8M

-34.88%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$41.8K ₺1.9M

-24.56%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$95.7 ₺4,301

-16.64%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$10.27 ₺462

-60.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$8.97 ₺403

168.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$30.04 ₺1,350

220.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$3.00 ₺135

37.67%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$619 ₺27.8K

-52.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$7,719 ₺347.0K

-13.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$70.1 ₺3,152

-21.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$30.50 ₺1,371

27.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$86.3 ₺3,881

3.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$50.5 ₺2,269

56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$320 ₺14.4K

218.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$230 ₺10.3K

186.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$557 ₺25.0K

517.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$381 ₺17.1K

439.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

$563 ₺25.3K

-69.42%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Van: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $320 in Van. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Van pays 227% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $18 in Van for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $223 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 55% 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, Van earns 227% 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $320 in Van. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $619 in Van. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $906 in Van versus $1,408 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 $906 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 55% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.