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: $1,133 in Vac versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,803 in Vac versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,472 in Vac versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Vac costs roughly 20% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vac is 15% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.87 Ft 2,820

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

157.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.64 Ft 14.5K

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

41.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.49 Ft 2,697

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

75.41%

Cappuccino

$2.11 Ft 671

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

-23.27%

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

$1.40 Ft 443

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 Ft 327

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

37.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.90 Ft 605

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 Ft 705

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

-42.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 Ft 352

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 Ft 490

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-37.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 Ft 586

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

57.26%

Eggs

$2.61 Ft 830

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

7.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.49 Ft 3,015

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

-34.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 Ft 1,791

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 Ft 3,712

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

-2.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 Ft 604

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

-48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 Ft 632

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

22.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 Ft 624

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

-28.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 Ft 952

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

33.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 Ft 359

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

-41.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 Ft 403

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

-44.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 Ft 488

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

45.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Ft 164

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 Ft 2,168

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

107.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 Ft 1,621

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-78.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 Ft 349

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-60.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 Ft 471

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

-45.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 Ft 369

$0.27 Rp 4,778

329.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.26 Ft 8,028

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

211.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 Ft 935

$0.48 Rp 8,659

512.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 Ft 367

$0.42 Rp 7,532

173.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.38 Ft 5,521

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

179.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.76 Ft 560

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

117.28%

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

$25.6K Ft 8.1M

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

-3.71%

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

$31.0K Ft 9.8M

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-3.84%

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

$142 Ft 45.0K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

80.84%

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

$26.91 Ft 8,550

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

561.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.83 Ft 6,301

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

-18.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 Ft 14.9K

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-52.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.88 Ft 5,363

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

166.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 Ft 2,348

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

85.21%

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

$295 Ft 93.7K

$305 Rp 5.5M

-3.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,744 Ft 2.1M

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

1.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 Ft 22.4K

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

30.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.02 Ft 8,586

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

-28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 Ft 23.4K

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-15.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 Ft 27.2K

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

12.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 Ft 134.5K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$352 Ft 111.9K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-47.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$783 Ft 248.9K

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-76.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 Ft 224.2K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-65.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,150 Ft 1.0M

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

12.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,379 Ft 756.0K

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

6.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,465 Ft 465.6K

$167 Rp 3.0M

777.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.4

13.28

-44.28%

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

Last update for Vac: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $423 in Vac and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vac pays 778% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Vac vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $217 vs $297, 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 24% 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 778% 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: $423 in Vac versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $295 in Vac versus $305 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,133 in Vac versus $1,408 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 $1,133 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 24% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.