Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Waterloo, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,807

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Waterloo, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Waterloo, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,807 in Waterloo, IA.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Waterloo, IA $1,807

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,550 in Waterloo, IA.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Waterloo, IA $2,550

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,294 in Waterloo, IA.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Waterloo, IA $3,294

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 25% less than in Waterloo, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$16.11 $16.11

-79.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$56.4 $56.4

-36.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$8.91 $8.91

-37.93%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$5.81 $5.81

-53.18%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.67 $2.67

-36.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.95 $1.95

-61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$3.92 $3.92

-32.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$7.82 $7.82

-43.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$0.97 $0.97

53.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$2.40 $2.40

-5.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.74 $1.74

-31.61%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.61 $3.61

-43.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$13.41 $13.41

31.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$13.36 $13.36

-70.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$17.38 $17.38

-29.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$4.70 $4.70

-22.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.53 $1.53

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$3.87 $3.87

-42.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$4.43 $4.43

-55.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.14 $1.14

62.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$2.21 $2.21

9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.97 $1.97

-49.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$1.57 $1.57

-67.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$8.25 $8.25

-73.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$13.98 $13.98

59.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$2.71 $2.71

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.77 $1.77

67.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$4.04 $4.04

-89.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$2.03 $2.03

-78.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$44.55 $44.55

-87.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.01 $1.01

-18.81%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$31.0K $31.0K

-23.07%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$26.0K $26.0K

22.02%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$152 $152

-47.93%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$52.8 $52.8

-87.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$60.8 $60.8

-69.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$26.92 $26.92

83.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$15.19 $15.19

-71.89%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$1,662 $1,662

-70.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$23.7K $23.7K

-76.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$19.83 $19.83

125.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$15.15 $15.15

130.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$58.9 $58.9

35.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$79.2 $79.2

0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$850 $850

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$749 $749

-10.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,359 $1,359

162.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$973 $973

77.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$1,582 $1,582

72.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$1,530 $1,530

49.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$3,801 $3,801

-95.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.69

105.98%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Waterloo, IA

$749 41.5% 11.5% $77

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Waterloo, IA

$364 20.2% 26.3% $76

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Waterloo, IA

$279 15.4% 159% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.3% 27.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Waterloo, IA

$265 14.7% 155% $161

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2% 1.3% $0.7

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8% 24.3% $2.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $850 in Waterloo, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterloo, IA pays about 23 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $56 in Waterloo, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $364 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

03:01 3:01 AM

14 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

67,314

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Waterloo, IA 15,370 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Waterloo, IA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Waterloo, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Waterloo, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $850 in Waterloo, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Waterloo, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,807 in Waterloo, IA – Ubud, Bali is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Waterloo, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.