Destination Report: Ubud Bali – Part 2: Cost of Nomad Living

In part 1 of the Destination Report for Ubud Bali, we shared everything we did, ate, and saw in Ubud. Part 2 is a detailed report into our cost of living budget and how the two of us spent $1,636 USD for a 4-week stay in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Ubud Bali is one of our favorite nomad destinations to stay for at least a month, if not longer. It’s a favorite destination for many nomads because of the community, beauty, great food and last but not least, affordability. Are you ready to see our numbers and find out what surprised us the most in Ubud from a cost perspective?

We stayed in Ubud for 29 days and the two of us spent $28.22 per person per day or $1,636 in total.

Where We Traveled Ubud, Indonesia

What did we do, see, eat? Check out our destination guide of Ubud

Number of Days 29 days (from November 21, 2022, to December 19, 2022)

Type of Travel Married Couple, Slow Travel/Nomadic, Price Conscious

Total living cost $1,636 (for 2 people) or $20,592 per year (for 2 people)or $1,716 per month (for 2 people) or $28.22 per person and per day

Note: Unless specified otherwise, prices are in USD and were converted from the local currency (IDR or Indonesian rupiah) using the following conversion: 1 USD = 14,000 IDR.

With our previous trips to Montreal, Quebec City, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico City, Oaxaca City, San Miguel de Allende, Aruba, Porto, Lisbon, Kotor, Chiang Mai, Koh Lanta, Penang and Costa Brava our average monthly spend per person was around $38 / person/day (Excluding the cost of getting in & out). Ubud is definitely well below this average with a daily budget of $28.22 / person / day. This makes Ubud a very affordable destination. 

Here is a breakdown of our living expenses for this trip:

Are you wondering where this nice data is coming from? Well we created an app for that: Nomad Purse. Nomad Purse is the ultimate budget tracking app for slow/fast or long-term travelers like us! Tired of spending countless hours managing spreadsheets to track expenses? We felt the same way, which is why we created a solution to make budget tracking effortless. With Nomad Purse, you can easily keep track of your expenses and stay within budget, all in one convenient place. Say goodbye to the headache of manual budget tracking and hello to a stress-free travel experience. Learn more and start streamlining your budget today by visiting https://www.nomadpurse.com.

Our accommodation topped our budget category (representing 34.44% of our living expenses), followed by our entertainment (representing 17.34% of our living expenses), dining out (representing 13.44% of our living expenses), our groceries (representing 8.91% of our living expenses), and then our fitness expenses (representing 8.60% of our living expenses).

With this budget, we practiced yoga everyday at a beautiful studio and went out to eat about every other day. We also rented a driver for a day to explore the island, and scuba diving for the day to see manta rays. We did all of this while staying in a comfortable 1 BR apartment providing us with an amazing view of the rice fields.

What did we exactly spend on this budget? Well, let’s look into each main budget category in more detail.

Cost of Living in Ubud, Bali 

Note: If you are curious about how we generally decide to spend our money, check out this article where we explain our decision-making process.

Accommodation: $9.72 / person / day (OR $296 / person / month).

We spent $563 USD for 29 nights in a beautiful 1 BR villa in Ubud with a swimming pool that we shared with four other apartments. We had a kitchen, an outdoor shower and an insanely beautiful panorama of rice terraces. The wifi was pretty good, and we were in a great neighborhood (Penestadan) which is a 30 minutes walk from the busy Ubud. We felt that Penestadan was a much better neighborhood if you are looking for a quieter experience. We were also a 15-minute walk from a great organic farmers market and a grocery store. The convenient location allowed us to be in comfort close to shops and supermarkets, making our stay even more enjoyable.

You can check out our AirBnB rental listing here.
If you want to know how we score great deals with AirBnB, check out our own AirBnb tips.

⇒ In total, for the length of our say, the 2 of us spent $563 on this apartment for a total of 29 nights

Local Transportation: $1.27 / person / day (OR $39 / person / month)

When it comes to getting around in Ubud, there are a few options available. The most popular method of transportation is renting a scooter. Renting a scooter can be a convenient and inexpensive way to explore the area, as long as you are comfortable driving one which we were not 🙂 

For those who prefer not to drive themselves, hiring a driver is another option. Drivers can be hired for a full day or half day, and prices vary depending on the destination and the length of time. Hiring a driver can be a great way to visit places outside of Ubud, such as Bali’s famous rice terraces or water temples.

If you prefer to walk, Ubud is a great place for pedestrians. The town center is relatively small, and many of the main attractions are within walking distance of each other. Walking can be a great way to soak up the local culture and take in the sights and sounds of the town. If you know us you know that this is how we move around Ubud. 

One thing to keep in mind if you are planning to use ride-sharing apps like Grab is that there is a “taxi mafia” present in Ubud. This means that local taxi drivers may try to intimidate or harass ride-sharing drivers, making it difficult for them to pick up passengers. While Grab is still available in Ubud, it may be more difficult to use than in other areas of Bali.

⇒ In total, for the length of our stay, the 2 of us spent $73.60 on local transportation.

Groceries: $2.50 / person / day (OR $76 / person / month)

We went grocery shopping mostly at the Saturday Moksa Organic market which has amazing produce! We also stop by the local supermarket to load up on the rest and enjoy our open kitchen to cook yummy meals.

⇒ In total, for the length of our stay, the 2 of us spent $145.87 on groceries. 

Eating Out: $8.9 / person / day (OR $135 / person / month)

Due to our commitment to healthy eating, we tend to avoid eating out too often. However, our time in Ubud challenged this habit as the food there was just too delicious to resist. The culinary scene in Ubud is renowned for its healthy options, including an abundance of raw and vegan food that truly blew us away. Mrs. NN has a gluten-free and dairy-free diet, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that there were plenty of options available to cater to her dietary needs.

Aside from meals, we also indulged in locally made kombucha and vegan ice cream as our go-to snacks. These treats were definitely a highlight of our culinary experience in Ubud and we highly recommend them.

If you’re curious about our favorite restaurants and cafes, be sure to check out the first part of our destination report. We’ve included all of our top recommendations for you to explore and enjoy!

⇒ In total, for the length of our stay, the 2 of us spent $219.98 on restaurants + $38.12 on snacks for a total of $258. 

Activities: $8.9 / person / day (OR $271 / person / month)

During our stay in Ubud, we paid for a few activities. I went on an amazing diving trip where I explored the stunning underwater world of Bali and saw some manta rays. We also took part in some workshops which were a great way to bond and learn new things together.

Apart from these, we also visited some local attractions that gave us an insight into the rich cultural heritage of Ubud. We were in awe of the beauty of these places and the spirituality they exuded.

And last but not least we also joined a Yoga studio where we attended daily Yoga classes and enjoyed twice a week balinese massages. 

⇒ In total, for the length of our stay, the 2 of us spent $517 on activities.

Miscellaneous: $8.9 / person / day (OR $42 / person / month)

We have some miscellaneous expenses such as paying for our visa as well as our sim card.  
⇒ In total, for the length of our stay, the 2 of us spent $79.3 on miscellaneous expenses.

How to Save Money in Ubud Bali

How did we save money for this trip?

• Use your two feet every day! This helped us reduce our footprint while increasing our exercise activity. Double win! 
• Use travel credit cards with sign-on bonuses to maximize free miles that you can apply towards your trip so you can travel for (almost) free. 
• Use this amazing debit card to avoid hefty ATM fees. 
• Use AirBnB (if staying one month or less). AirBnB is a website that allows homeowners, in destinations all over the world, the ability to rent private spaces (or entire apartments) for a fee. As nomadic long term travelers, we like to call AirBnB our home as it has helped us save a lot of money and provides us with really great places managed by wonderful hosts! 
• Share a driver with friends. We did the tour with a friend and the cost is per tour and not per person so the more people that join, the more you save.

Our Bottom Line

Ubud’s food, wellness and spiritual scene amazed us during our 4-week stay, and we were surprised that we spent less than $1,700 for everything including food, massages, yoga classes, and workshops. You can live a very pampered and comfortable lifestyle in Ubud Bali for not much. We also met some interesting people and felt more connected to our spiritual selves. We plan to return to Ubud whenever we want to disconnect and spend a relaxing month or two.

Check out Part 1 on the Destination Report for Ubud Bali if you missed it to get more details on everything that went behind this spend.

What did you think about the cost of living in Ubud? Is it as affordable as you thought it was? Feel free to share your experience and ask questions by leaving a comment below.