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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Van versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,334 in Van versus $2,588 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,780 in Van versus $3,778 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Van costs roughly 36% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Van is 34% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 ₺309

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

90.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.84 ₺844

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

-44.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 ₺346

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

44.55%

Cappuccino

$2.90 ₺137

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

7.01%

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

$0.93 ₺44.01

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

-33.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.24 ₺11.28

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

-67.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 ₺195

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ₺179

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

-0.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 ₺50.1

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

-40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 ₺36.79

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

-68.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ₺107

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

86.78%

Eggs

$1.87 ₺88.5

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

-21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 ₺443

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

-35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.59 ₺265

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

34.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 ₺792

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

38.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.05 ₺49.84

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

-72.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 ₺102

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

31.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 ₺52.6

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

-59.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.91 ₺43.25

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

-59.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ₺32.71

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

-64.25%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 ₺27.98

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

-73.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 ₺43.39

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

-9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₺25.22

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.08 ₺98.3

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

-34.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 ₺498

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

-55.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 ₺104

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

-20.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₺118

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

-9.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.45 ₺21.17

$0.27 Rp 4,794

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.66 ₺2,303

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

493.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ₺73.0

$0.48 Rp 8,668

220.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 ₺30.90

$0.42 Rp 7,557

54.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.00 ₺426

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

49.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 ₺57.4

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

47.56%

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

$39.7K ₺1.9M

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

49.41%

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

$42.3K ₺2.0M

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

31.33%

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

$96.1 ₺4,549

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

22.84%

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

$10.08 ₺477

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

157.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.03 ₺427

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

-62.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.54 ₺1,446

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

-68.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.10 ₺147

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

-22.69%

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

$603 ₺28.5K

$303 Rp 5.4M

99.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,552 ₺357.4K

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

15.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.9 ₺3,309

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.81 ₺1,458

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

-19.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 ₺4,092

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

-2.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.4 ₺2,434

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-32.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$321 ₺15.2K

$986 Rp 17.7M

-67.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 ₺10.6K

$682 Rp 12.2M

-67.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$541 ₺25.6K

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

-84.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 ₺17.7K

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

-81.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,340 ₺63.4K

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

-51.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$835 ₺39.5K

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

-62.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 ₺24.9K

$169 Rp 3.0M

211.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

36.83

13.28

177.33%

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

Last update for Van: July 21, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $321 in Van and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Van pays 212% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $18.00 in Van vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $298 per month, with Van cheaper across the board.

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

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

Van wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Van the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 212% higher in Van, 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: $321 in Van versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $603 in Van versus $303 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $888 in Van versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Van but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Van the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Van delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $888 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Van hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Van 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 Van gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.