Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $3,916 in Washington, DC, rent and utilities included – about $30,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

188

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,916

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Washington, DC 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 Washington, DC and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,916 in Washington, DC versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Washington, DC $3,916
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,027 in Washington, DC versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Washington, DC $6,027
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,138 in Washington, DC versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Washington, DC $8,138
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Washington, DC is roughly 190% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

656.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

205.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

112.84%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

119.12%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

91.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

246.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.16 $9.16

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

245.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

126.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-10.07%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

82.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.11 $7.11

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

497.48%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

173.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 $16.91

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

332.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 $18.48

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

94.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

123.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

203.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

51.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

60.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

169.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$0.51 Rp 9,303

419.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 $13.78

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

520.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.26 $16.26

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-26.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

94.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.25 Rp 4,548

1096.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 $118

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

1404.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$0.44 Rp 7,964

795.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.43 Rp 7,793

272.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 $24.78

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

358.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

34.15%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

47.28%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-19.33%

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

$207 $207

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

161.70%

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

$80.6 $80.6

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

1149.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

312.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

106.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$72.8 $72.8

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

312.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.93 $17.93

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

319.91%

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

$2,990 $2,990

$491 Rp 8.9M

509.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

640.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

62.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

26.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

28.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

146.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$671 Rp 12.2M

228.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,965 $4,965

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,186 $4,186

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

142.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,626 $7,626

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

179.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,793 $3,793

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

66.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,454 $6,454

$164 Rp 3.0M

3839.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

13.78

-51.89%

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

Last update for Washington, DC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56.3%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 69.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$516 13.2%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 44.1% $228

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$397 10.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 72.9% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$364 9.3%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 71.4% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 30.4% $47

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$142 3.6%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 91.9% $130

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$138 3.5%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 58% $80

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,768 in Washington, DC and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Washington, DC pays about 39 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $109 in Washington, DC vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $516 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

12:13 12:13 PM

01:13 1:13 AM

13 h ahead of Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Washington, DC Ubud, Bali 16,420 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Washington, DC
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Washington, DC. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Washington, DC is about 39 times higher, 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: $2,768 in Washington, DC versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,990 in Washington, DC versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Washington, DC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Washington, DC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Washington, DC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.