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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Vac versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,319 in Vac versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,291 in Vac versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Vac costs roughly 3% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vac is 2% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.74 Ft 6,259

$3.37 Rp 59.9K

485.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$116 Ft 36.7K

$38.59 Rp 685.5K

199.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.76 Ft 3,094

$5.52 Rp 98.1K

76.81%

Cappuccino

$2.43 Ft 771

$2.64 Rp 47.0K

-7.95%

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

$1.58 Ft 500

$1.67 Rp 29.7K

-5.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 Ft 391

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

59.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 Ft 688

$2.63 Rp 46.8K

-17.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 Ft 749

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

-44.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 Ft 437

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

-10.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 Ft 465

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

-34.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 Ft 748

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

108.85%

Eggs

$3.42 Ft 1,084

$2.09 Rp 37.1K

63.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.53 Ft 2,704

$17.39 Rp 309.0K

-50.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.30 Ft 1,997

$3.87 Rp 68.7K

62.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.79 Ft 5,323

$12.55 Rp 222.9K

33.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 Ft 621

$3.62 Rp 64.2K

-45.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 Ft 663

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

33.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 Ft 664

$2.35 Rp 41.8K

-11.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.50 Ft 794

$2.06 Rp 36.5K

21.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.65 Ft 525

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

-13.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 Ft 381

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

-48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 Ft 443

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Ft 162

$0.55 Rp 9,854

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 Ft 2,575

$2.25 Rp 40.0K

260.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.27 Ft 1,670

$23.81 Rp 422.9K

-77.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 Ft 291

$2.31 Rp 41.1K

-60.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 Ft 732

$2.80 Rp 49.8K

-17.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 Ft 350

$0.27 Rp 4,839

307.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.48 Ft 8,714

$8.66 Rp 153.9K

217.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 Ft 1,031

$0.48 Rp 8,554

577.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 Ft 411

$0.45 Rp 7,924

186.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.63 Ft 6,225

$5.72 Rp 101.6K

243.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 Ft 611

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

153.95%

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

$29.7K Ft 9.4M

$24.5K Rp 434.9M

21.21%

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

$35.7K Ft 11.3M

$32.1K Rp 570.6M

11.14%

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

$156 Ft 49.6K

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

87.10%

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

$25.67 Ft 8,138

$6.46 Rp 114.7K

297.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.13 Ft 7,017

$18.99 Rp 337.4K

16.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.28 Ft 14.7K

$56.0 Rp 994.4K

-17.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.07 Ft 6,048

$18.62 Rp 330.7K

2.42%

Cinema Ticket

$8.39 Ft 2,661

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

96.03%

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

$262 Ft 83.2K

$487 Rp 8.6M

-46.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,643 Ft 2.7M

$5,856 Rp 104.0M

47.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.7 Ft 28.8K

$45.56 Rp 809.3K

99.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.39 Ft 9,954

$36.38 Rp 646.3K

-13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 Ft 25.4K

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

-2.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 Ft 34.2K

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

34.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$526 Ft 166.9K

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

-52.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$413 Ft 131.0K

$701 Rp 12.5M

-41.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 Ft 269.9K

$3,537 Rp 62.8M

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$804 Ft 254.8K

$1,762 Rp 31.3M

-54.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,061 Ft 970.5K

$2,826 Rp 50.2M

8.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,666 Ft 845.4K

$2,292 Rp 40.7M

16.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,462 Ft 463.6K

$170 Rp 3.0M

761.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

13.78

-51.52%

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

Last update for Vac: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $526 in Vac and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 761% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $116 in Vac vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $293, with Vac 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

Vac vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vac wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 761% higher in Vac, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $526 in Vac versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $262 in Vac versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,348 in Vac versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vac but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vac the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vac delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vac hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Vac and Ubud, Bali 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 Vac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.