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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,345 in Varadero.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,764 in Varadero.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,183 in Varadero.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 2% more expensive than in Varadero, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Varadero is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$4.40 CUP 106

-24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$19.65 CUP 472

82.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$6.90 CUP 166

-18.41%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$1.55 CUP 37.31

81.94%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$2.00 CUP 48.11

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.91 CUP 21.96

-12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.57 CUP 61.7

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.49 CUP 83.7

23.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$2.95 CUP 70.7

-45.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.51 CUP 36.15

50.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.45 CUP 34.77

-19.31%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.15 CUP 51.5

0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$5.83 CUP 140

202.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.54 CUP 109

-10.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$11.67 CUP 280

4.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$3.41 CUP 81.7

6.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.01 CUP 24.13

62.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.57 CUP 37.64

47.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.60 CUP 38.43

22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$2.14 CUP 51.5

-14.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$3.89 CUP 93.4

-39.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.71 CUP 17.10

47.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.57 CUP 13.80

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.78 CUP 90.8

-39.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$5.55 CUP 133

315.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.89 CUP 21.37

162.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.10 CUP 50.4

46.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.10 CUP 2.47

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$15.38 CUP 369

-38.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$1.98 CUP 47.48

-75.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$1.02 CUP 24.36

-53.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$20.04 CUP 481

-72.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.33 CUP 31.93

-39.10%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$70.0K CUP 1.7M

-64.29%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$79.5K CUP 1.9M

-60.92%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$40.56 CUP 973

103.94%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$39.41 CUP 946

-83.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$220 CUP 5,269

-91.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$39.82 CUP 956

38.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$14.85 CUP 356

22.63%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$1.01 CUP 24.34

325.74%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$91.7 CUP 2,201

438.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$14.7K CUP 353.3K

-59.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$39.25 CUP 942

17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$30.25 CUP 726

20.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$74.5 CUP 1,788

8.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$84.9 CUP 2,038

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$508 CUP 12.2K

119.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$568 CUP 13.6K

22.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,186 CUP 28.5K

206.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$646 CUP 15.5K

165.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$390 CUP 9,363

607.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$356 CUP 8,555

543.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$19.05 CUP 457

777.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-8.13%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Varadero: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $508 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ubud, Bali pays 777% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $20.00 in Varadero for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $215 per month, with Varadero 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 Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varadero wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varadero the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 777% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $508 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $91.7 in Varadero. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,345 in Varadero versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Varadero but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varadero the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varadero delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,345 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varadero 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 Varadero gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.