Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Vung Tau Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Vung Tau

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $615 in Vung Tau.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $999 in Vung Tau.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,383 in Vung Tau.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 124% more expensive than in Vung Tau, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Vung Tau is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$1.89 ₫49.2K

75.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$15.16 ₫395.6K

157.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$3.81 ₫99.4K

47.51%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$1.81 ₫47.2K

45.86%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$0.40 ₫10.5K

295.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.31 ₫7,977

129.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$0.74 ₫19.3K

268.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$1.06 ₫27.7K

307.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.32 ₫34.6K

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.07 ₫27.9K

114.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$0.89 ₫23.3K

15.73%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$1.54 ₫40.2K

37.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$4.66 ₫121.6K

271.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$3.68 ₫96.1K

9.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$9.73 ₫253.8K

27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$3.08 ₫80.3K

20.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.22 ₫31.9K

32.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$0.68 ₫17.7K

233.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.19 ₫31.2K

67.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$1.13 ₫29.4K

61.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$1.14 ₫29.8K

97.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.59 ₫15.3K

76.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.46 ₫12.0K

21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.20 ₫31.3K

85.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$11.93 ₫311.5K

94.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$0.81 ₫21.1K

195.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$0.96 ₫24.9K

198.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.69 ₫17.9K

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.56 ₫14.5K

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$1.12 ₫29.3K

408.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.86 ₫22.5K

-11.63%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$29.9K ₫781.4M

-17.94%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$29.7K ₫775.8M

4.38%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$47.32 ₫1.2M

73.65%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$6.03 ₫157.5K

4.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$8.01 ₫208.9K

131.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$16.76 ₫437.4K

234.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$9.20 ₫240.1K

100.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$3.41 ₫88.9K

24.93%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$115 ₫3.0M

324.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$9,741 ₫254.2M

-40.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$20.63 ₫538.5K

122.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$19.46 ₫507.8K

84.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$92.0 ₫2.4M

-13.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$66.5 ₫1.7M

21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$291 ₫7.6M

292.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$200 ₫5.2M

246.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$739 ₫19.3M

377.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$498 ₫13.0M

243.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$7,444 ₫194.3M

-62.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$4,333 ₫113.1M

-47.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$583 ₫15.2M

-70.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.64

59.49%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Last update for Vung Tau: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $291 in Vung Tau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vung Tau pays 244% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $15.00 in Vung Tau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $170 per month, with Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vung Tau wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vung Tau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 244% lower in Vung Tau. 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $291 in Vung Tau. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $615 in Vung Tau – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $615 in Vung Tau versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Vung Tau but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vung Tau the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vung Tau delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $615 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vung Tau hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Vung Tau 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 Vung Tau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.