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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,622 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,010 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,399 in Varadero.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 13% less than in Varadero, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Varadero 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$5.86 CUP 141

-41.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$48.14 CUP 1,155

-32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$8.81 CUP 211

-45.06%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$0.98 CUP 23.41

180.61%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.99 CUP 47.68

-30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.99 CUP 23.73

-24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$3.68 CUP 88.3

-18.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$2.54 CUP 61.0

51.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$2.99 CUP 71.7

-41.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.24 CUP 29.83

98.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.50 CUP 36.03

-22.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.41 CUP 57.8

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$6.17 CUP 148

135.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$5.10 CUP 122

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$11.93 CUP 286

0.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$4.98 CUP 120

-25.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.57 CUP 13.79

185.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.98 CUP 23.46

179.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.14 CUP 27.28

96.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.92 CUP 22.05

108.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$5.48 CUP 132

-58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.38 CUP 9.19

178.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.57 CUP 13.75

26.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$3.61 CUP 86.5

-8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$5.66 CUP 136

309.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$0.87 CUP 20.92

219.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$0.77 CUP 18.60

254.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$19.93 CUP 478

-59.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$2.06 CUP 49.39

-76.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$0.97 CUP 23.39

-56.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$20.18 CUP 484

-69.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.33 CUP 31.95

-39.10%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$68.7K CUP 1.6M

-61.27%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$78.4K CUP 1.9M

-58.96%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$39.57 CUP 950

98.00%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$39.46 CUP 947

-89.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$219 CUP 5,245

-88.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$39.75 CUP 954

148.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$15.08 CUP 362

-57.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$0.99 CUP 23.68

303.03%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$90.8 CUP 2,178

236.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$15.1K CUP 361.5K

-55.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$39.74 CUP 954

36.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$30.60 CUP 734

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$74.0 CUP 1,776

17.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$86.2 CUP 2,069

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$407 CUP 9,766

143.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$796 CUP 19.1K

-15.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$1,200 CUP 28.8K

181.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$640 CUP 15.3K

220.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

$389 CUP 9,342

620.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$355 CUP 8,529

526.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$19.38 CUP 465

761.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-11.47%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Varadero: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $407 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ubud, Bali pays 762% 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 $48.00 in Varadero. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $215, with Varadero 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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Varadero. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 762% higher in Ubud, Bali, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $407 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $90.8 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Varadero pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,622 in Varadero, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Varadero. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,408 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Varadero 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Varadero. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.