Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uluwatu, Bali and Surakarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Surakarta: $589 a month against $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
Surakarta, Indonesia
Uluwatu, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,649
/mo nomad
Surakarta
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Uluwatu, Bali and in Surakarta

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

A single person spends $1,649 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $589 in Surakarta, rent included.

  • Uluwatu, Bali $1,649
  • Surakarta $589

A couple spends around $2,833 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $933 in Surakarta, rent included.

  • Uluwatu, Bali $2,833
  • Surakarta $933

A family of three spends $4,017 per month in Uluwatu, Bali vs $1,278 in Surakarta, rent included.

  • Uluwatu, Bali $4,017
  • Surakarta $1,278

Uluwatu, Bali costs about 180% more than Surakarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Uluwatu, Bali sits 21% above the global median, while Surakarta is 57% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.90 Rp 70.8K
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
129.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.32 Rp 785.8K
$11.39 Rp 206.6K
280.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.66 Rp 120.8K
$3.06 Rp 55.4K
117.65%
Cappuccino
$3.16 Rp 57.4K
$1.55 Rp 28.2K
103.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 Rp 36.4K
$0.53 Rp 9,664
279.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 Rp 16.7K
$0.23 Rp 4,147
300.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 Rp 58.8K
$1.40 Rp 25.5K
131.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.17 Rp 93.7K
$2.78 Rp 50.4K
85.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 Rp 29.7K
$0.86 Rp 15.6K
90.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 Rp 43.6K
$0.74 Rp 13.4K
224.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.26 Rp 22.8K
$0.75 Rp 13.5K
68.00%
Eggs
$2.21 Rp 40.2K
$1.00 Rp 18.1K
121.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.40 Rp 333.8K
$7.78 Rp 141.1K
136.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.10 Rp 74.4K
$1.62 Rp 29.4K
153.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.58 Rp 228.1K
$5.32 Rp 96.5K
136.47%
Apples (1kg)
$3.68 Rp 66.7K
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
86.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 Rp 30.1K
$1.30 Rp 23.7K
27.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.44 Rp 44.2K
$1.80 Rp 32.6K
35.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 36.3K
$1.41 Rp 25.5K
41.84%
Potato (1kg)
$1.87 Rp 33.9K
$1.36 Rp 24.7K
37.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.50 Rp 45.3K
$1.64 Rp 29.8K
52.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.07 Rp 19.5K
$0.53 Rp 9,568
101.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.54 Rp 9,842
$0.43 Rp 7,783
25.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
$1.93 Rp 34.9K
20.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.39 Rp 424.2K
$8.23 Rp 149.3K
184.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 Rp 45.0K
$1.61 Rp 29.3K
54.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 Rp 56.4K
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
4.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,199
$0.41 Rp 7,401
-29.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.34 Rp 205.7K
$11.35 Rp 205.8K
-0.09%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.60 Rp 10.8K
$0.47 Rp 8,488
27.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.55 Rp 9,902
$0.43 Rp 7,747
27.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.60 Rp 47.1K
$2.58 Rp 46.8K
0.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 Rp 18.7K
$0.78 Rp 14.1K
32.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.0K Rp 545.0M
$25.0K Rp 454.0M
20.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.1K Rp 726.7M
$32.9K Rp 596.8M
21.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.3 Rp 1.6M
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
14.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$7.18 Rp 130.2K
$2.06 Rp 37.3K
248.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.86 Rp 360.2K
$18.73 Rp 339.7K
6.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.1 Rp 1.1M
$16.13 Rp 292.6K
260.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.68 Rp 375.1K
$8.31 Rp 150.7K
148.86%
Cinema Ticket
$5.06 Rp 91.8K
$1.88 Rp 34.1K
169.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$545 Rp 9.9M
$33.22 Rp 602.5K
1539.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,343 Rp 115.0M
$1,841 Rp 33.4M
244.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.39 Rp 895.8K
$58.8 Rp 1.1M
-15.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.55 Rp 699.3K
$36.70 Rp 665.7K
5.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.3 Rp 1.6M
$68.2 Rp 1.2M
27.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 Rp 1.5M
$65.7 Rp 1.2M
30.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,531 Rp 27.8M
$223 Rp 4.0M
587.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$901 Rp 16.3M
$147 Rp 2.7M
511.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,801 Rp 87.1M
$559 Rp 10.1M
758.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,305 Rp 41.8M
$367 Rp 6.7M
527.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,735 Rp 67.7M
$1,102 Rp 20.0M
238.75%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,095 Rp 56.1M
$712 Rp 12.9M
334.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Uluwatu, Bali
Surakarta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$155 Rp 2.8M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
7.5
83.73%

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

Last update for Uluwatu, Bali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Surakarta: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Uluwatu, Bali
$901
Surakarta
$147 83.7% $754
Groceries & Markets
Uluwatu, Bali
$303
Surakarta
$147 51.3% $155
Eating Out
Uluwatu, Bali
$127
Surakarta
$57 55.2% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Uluwatu, Bali
$117
Surakarta
$103 12% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Uluwatu, Bali
$116
Surakarta
$98 15.3% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Uluwatu, Bali
$68
Surakarta
$20 70.8% $48
Getting Around
Uluwatu, Bali
$16
Surakarta
$16 1.5% $0.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,531 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $223 in Surakarta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Uluwatu, Bali versus $11 in Surakarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $147 – making Surakarta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Uluwatu, Bali
🇮🇩 Surakarta
🕒 Local time
17:09 5:09 PM
16:09 4:09 PM
1 h behind Uluwatu, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
5,000
503,421
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Uluwatu, Bali Surakarta 490 km
From you
  • Uluwatu, Bali
  • Surakarta

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
Uluwatu, Bali vs Surakarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Uluwatu, Bali and in Surakarta compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali, $589 in Surakarta – Surakarta comes out roughly 64% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Uluwatu, Bali compared to Surakarta?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,473 per month in Uluwatu, Bali and $883 in Surakarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Uluwatu, Bali and Surakarta?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Surakarta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $223 there versus $1,531 in Uluwatu, Bali.
Which city is more expensive overall: Uluwatu, Bali or Surakarta?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,649 in Uluwatu, Bali and $589 in Surakarta. That makes Surakarta about 64% cheaper.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Uluwatu, Bali and Surakarta?
Kindergarten costs $545 per month in Uluwatu, Bali and $33 in Surakarta. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Surakarta, where all-in costs run around $589, than in Uluwatu, Bali at $1,649. In Surakarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Uluwatu, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Uluwatu, Bali or Surakarta?
Families tend to lean toward Surakarta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Uluwatu, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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