Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterloo, IA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,807 in Waterloo, IA, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Waterloo, IA
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Waterloo, IA Living Index
65

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

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Waterloo, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,807

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,807 in Waterloo, IA versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Waterloo, IA $1,807
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,550 in Waterloo, IA versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Waterloo, IA $2,550
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,294 in Waterloo, IA versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Waterloo, IA $3,294
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Waterloo, IA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

385.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.4 $56.4

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

58.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.91 $8.91

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

61.12%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

113.60%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

57.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

156.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 $3.92

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.82 $7.82

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

78.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

-34.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

46.22%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

76.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.41 $13.41

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

-24.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.36 $13.36

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

237.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

42.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

28.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

73.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

124.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

-8.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

98.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.51 Rp 9,313

207.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.25 $8.25

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

271.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.98 $13.98

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-37.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$0.44 Rp 7,972

818.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.43 Rp 7,801

372.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.55 $44.55

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

723.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

23.17%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

29.98%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

-18.05%

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

$152 $152

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

92.03%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

718.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

227.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.92 $26.92

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

-45.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

255.74%

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

$1,662 $1,662

$491 Rp 8.9M

238.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

318.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.83 $19.83

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

-55.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.15 $15.15

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

-56.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 $58.9

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-26.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 $79.2

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-0.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 $850

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 $749

$671 Rp 12.2M

11.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,359 $1,359

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-61.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$973 $973

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-43.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 $1,582

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-42.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,530 $1,530

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-33.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,801 $3,801

$164 Rp 3.0M

2220.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

13.78

-51.45%

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

Last update for Waterloo, IA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waterloo, IA

$749 41.5%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 10.3% $77

Groceries & Markets

Waterloo, IA

$364 20.2%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 20.8% $76

Eating Out

Waterloo, IA

$279 15.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 61.4% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waterloo, IA

$265 14.7%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 60.8% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Waterloo, IA

$78 4.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 38.1% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Waterloo, IA

$57 3.2%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 1.3% $0.7

Getting Around

Waterloo, IA

$14 * 0.8%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 19.5% $2.8

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 $850 in Waterloo, IA and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterloo, IA pays about 23 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $56 in Waterloo, IA vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waterloo, IA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

00:16 12:16 AM

14:16 2:16 PM

14 h ahead of Waterloo, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,314

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 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 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Waterloo, IA Ubud, Bali 15,370 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Waterloo, IA
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Waterloo, IA. 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 Waterloo, IA is about 23 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: $850 in Waterloo, IA versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Waterloo, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,807 per month in Waterloo, IA versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Waterloo, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.