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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $977 in Van.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,539 in Van.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,101 in Van.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 41% more expensive than in Van, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Van is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$7.58 ₺368

-56.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$33.97 ₺1,649

5.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$7.33 ₺356

-23.19%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$3.25 ₺158

-13.23%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.18 ₺57.5

48.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.41 ₺19.84

95.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.64 ₺128

15.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.70 ₺180

16.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$0.96 ₺46.49

67.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.06 ₺51.4

114.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$2.18 ₺106

-46.33%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.52 ₺74.0

42.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$7.98 ₺387

120.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.16 ₺202

-2.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$22.91 ₺1,112

-46.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.84 ₺89.4

96.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.90 ₺92.1

-13.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.02 ₺49.70

126.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.26 ₺61.3

55.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.53 ₺25.94

247.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.38 ₺18.41

523.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.85 ₺41.18

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.58 ₺27.96

-6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$2.12 ₺103

8.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.82 ₺525

113.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$2.07 ₺101

13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.50 ₺122

22.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.69 ₺33.46

-63.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$30.35 ₺1,474

-68.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.22 ₺59.4

-59.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.81 ₺39.19

-41.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$4.70 ₺228

19.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.33 ₺64.4

-39.10%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$43.2K ₺2.1M

-42.10%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$39.7K ₺1.9M

-21.67%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$70.9 ₺3,442

16.69%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$9.37 ₺455

-30.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$13.95 ₺678

34.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$54.6 ₺2,653

1.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$5.77 ₺280

-25.48%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$637 ₺30.9K

-22.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$13.0K ₺629.7K

-54.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$50.3 ₺2,441

-7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$35.47 ₺1,722

2.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$75.3 ₺3,654

7.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$70.6 ₺3,428

11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$464 ₺22.5K

140.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$321 ₺15.6K

115.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$875 ₺42.5K

315.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$619 ₺30.0K

176.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,502 ₺72.9K

83.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$1,060 ₺51.5K

116.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

41.26

-66.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Van: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $464 in Van. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Van for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $229 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 41% 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.

You'd need roughly $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $1,465 in Van to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $464 in Van. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $637 in Van. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $977 in Van versus $1,378 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 $977 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 41% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.