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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $937 in Vilcabamba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,437 in Vilcabamba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,937 in Vilcabamba.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 49% more expensive than Vilcabamba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Vilcabamba is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$3.22 $3.22

5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$34.79 $34.79

-6.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$7.35 $7.35

-31.97%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.06 $2.06

36.89%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$1.01 $1.01

36.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.89 $0.89

-17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.01 $2.01

48.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$3.42 $3.42

16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.93 $0.93

92.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$2.02 $2.02

21.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.33 $1.33

-9.77%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$2.26 $2.26

5.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$7.58 $7.58

89.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$5.85 $5.85

-26.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$7.28 $7.28

62.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$2.47 $2.47

53.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.27 $1.27

28.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.79 $1.79

56.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.04 $1.04

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$0.98 $0.98

104.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.02 $1.02

116.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.76 $0.76

40.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.97 $0.97

-21.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$6.20 $6.20

-49.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$10.07 $10.07

136.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.59 $1.59

78.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.45 $2.45

13.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.36 $0.36

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$24.09 $24.09

-65.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.53 $1.53

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.95 $0.95

-54.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$9.86 $9.86

-39.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.64 $0.64

25.00%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$20.3K $20.3K

26.94%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$27.5K $27.5K

15.60%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$56.7 $56.7

42.35%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$13.16 $13.16

-68.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$34.29 $34.29

-29.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$29.81 $29.81

227.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$14.71 $14.71

-54.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$7.14 $7.14

-43.42%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$257 $257

15.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$5,722 $5,722

15.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$78.5 $78.5

-29.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$20.11 $20.11

91.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$98.7 $98.7

-12.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$76.3 $76.3

2.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$342 $342

188.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$325 $325

104.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$616 $616

459.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$583 $583

250.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$1,182 $1,182

139.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$798 $798

185.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$442 $442

-61.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.6

25.28%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Vilcabamba: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $342 in Vilcabamba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilcabamba pays 161% 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 $35.00 in Vilcabamba. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $203, with Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vilcabamba wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vilcabamba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Vilcabamba earns 161% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $342 in Vilcabamba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $257 in Vilcabamba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $937 in Vilcabamba versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vilcabamba but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vilcabamba the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vilcabamba delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $937 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vilcabamba hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Vilcabamba 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 Vilcabamba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.