Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, CA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $4,061 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $32,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Union City, CA, United States
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Union City, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,061
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Union City, CA and in Ubud, Bali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,061 in Union City, CA versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Union City, CA $4,061
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,023 in Union City, CA versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Union City, CA $6,023
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,984 in Union City, CA versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Union City, CA $7,984
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Union City, CA is roughly 205% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Union City, CA is 200% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.36 $22.36
$3.38 Rp 61.2K
561.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.5 $98.5
$34.65 Rp 628.6K
184.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.26 $13.26
$5.57 Rp 101.1K
138.06%
Cappuccino
$5.49 $5.49
$2.62 Rp 47.5K
109.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
98.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
267.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.21 $8.21
$2.67 Rp 48.4K
207.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.12 $10.12
$4.26 Rp 77.3K
137.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.26 $1.26
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
-13.70%
White Bread (500g)
$4.52 $4.52
$2.29 Rp 41.6K
97.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.11 Rp 20.1K
273.87%
Eggs
$5.96 $5.96
$2.10 Rp 38.1K
183.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.69 $19.69
$15.94 Rp 289.2K
23.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.42 $13.42
$3.88 Rp 70.4K
245.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.60 $8.60
$11.40 Rp 206.8K
-24.56%
Apples (1kg)
$5.08 $5.08
$3.55 Rp 64.4K
43.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
25.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
26.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.39 $4.39
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
122.84%
Potato (1kg)
$2.25 $2.25
$1.86 Rp 33.7K
20.97%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
25.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.41 $2.41
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
136.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 $2.48
$0.52 Rp 9,475
376.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.01 $12.01
$2.20 Rp 39.9K
445.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.71 $15.71
$21.79 Rp 395.2K
-27.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 $2.43
$2.33 Rp 42.2K
4.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 $3.37
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
13.47%
🚌 Getting Around
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.25 Rp 4,542
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.17 Rp 148.3K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.48 $3.48
$0.44 Rp 7,941
690.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.90 $1.90
$0.47 Rp 8,489
304.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.29 $30.29
$5.60 Rp 101.6K
440.89%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 $1.52
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
83.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$24.4K Rp 443.5M
12.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$31.7K Rp 575.0M
-15.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$274 $274
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
253.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.70 $48.70
$6.14 Rp 111.5K
693.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$81.0 $81.0
$18.92 Rp 343.1K
328.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.57 $42.57
$51.0 Rp 925.0K
-16.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.25 Rp 331.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$16.14 $16.14
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
268.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,799 $1,799
$492 Rp 8.9M
265.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.3K $42.3K
$12.2K Rp 221.7M
246.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.31 $40.31
$45.16 Rp 819.2K
-10.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.7 $50.7
$34.89 Rp 632.9K
45.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
10.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
52.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,558 $3,558
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
230.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,646 $2,646
$665 Rp 12.1M
297.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,921 $4,921
$3,510 Rp 63.7M
40.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,867 $4,867
$1,671 Rp 30.3M
191.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,236 Rp 40.6M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Union City, CA
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$7,265 $7,265
$166 Rp 3.0M
4267.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
13.78
-50.51%

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

Last update for Union City, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Union City, CA
$2.6K
Ubud, Bali
$665 74.9% $2K
Groceries & Markets
Union City, CA
$423
Ubud, Bali
$279 33.9% $144
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Union City, CA
$403
Ubud, Bali
$103 74.6% $301
Eating Out
Union City, CA
$368
Ubud, Bali
$106 71.2% $262
Clothing & Footwear
Union City, CA
$134
Ubud, Bali
$106 20.4% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Union City, CA
$75
Ubud, Bali
$60 20.2% $15
Getting Around
Union City, CA
$13 *
Ubud, Bali
$12 7.9% $1

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 $3,558 in Union City, CA and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, CA pays about 44 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Union City, CA vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Union City, CA
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
02:07 2:07 AM
18:07 6:07 PM
16 h ahead of Union City, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
63,930
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,384 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Union City, CA Ubud, Bali 13,450 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Union City, CA
  • Ubud, Bali

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
Union City, CA vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Union City, CA or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Union City, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Union City, CA or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay in Union City, CA is about 44 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Union City, CA compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $3,558 in Union City, CA versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Union City, CA or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Union City, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Union City, CA compared to Ubud, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $4,061 per month in Union City, CA versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Union City, CA or in Ubud, Bali?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Union City, CA or Ubud, Bali?
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.
How safe is Union City, CA compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Union City, CA and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Union City, CA or to Ubud, Bali?
It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Union City, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Union City, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?