Depok vs Ubud: Which City Wins for Expats in 2026?
Ubud ranks meaningfully higher on safety. Use our tool below to personalize the estimate based on your income and lifestyle.
Depok is approximately 154% less expensive than Ubud based on cost of living including rent. This makes Depok a more budget-friendly option for expats considering a move.
Depok has a FIRE Score of 78/100, indicating its suitability for financial independence and early retirement. The city's safety index is 58, suggesting moderate safety levels.
Recommended profile: Depok is ideal for GeoArbitragers and remote workers looking to maximize savings.
About Depok
Depok is a budget play, not a lifestyle upgrade: a 1-bedroom outside the center runs $105/mo and a 3-bedroom in the center just $251/mo, yet the local average net salary sits at $225/mo, so most expats here are earning elsewhere. The catch is the air, with an air quality index of 95 and a tropical monsoon climate of constant humidity and afternoon thunderstorms, plus limited English and a small expat community. It suits remote workers chasing a 41/100 cost of living index and a $13/mo transit pass, not retirees who want comfort, since the retiree score lands at 58/100 and the retirement visa demands $2,000/mo in income.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,717/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
About Ubud
Ubud is a bargain for renters who can live on local wages, but the numbers expose the catch: a $168/mo average net salary cannot touch $544/mo city-center rent, so this town runs on foreign income, not local opportunity. The $2,000/mo income floor on both the Indonesia Retirement Visa (KITAS) and the Indonesia Remote Worker Visa (E33G) tells you exactly who Ubud is built for. Internet at 20 Mbps and a 57/100 digital nomad score make remote work possible but not painless, and healthcare rated only Fair is the real long-term risk. Come for the $3 meals and $2 cappuccinos, stay only if you have a first-world paycheck and a high tolerance for humid, monsoon-soaked air.
About Indonesia
Skip this if you need English-speaking doctors or a fast path to citizenship, both weak here. But budget retirees can live well on $429.70/mo excl. rent plus sub-$320 rent, and the $2,000/mo Retirement KITAS is achievable. Best suited for low-cost-focused retirees, not remote workers facing the $387/mo nomad visa threshold.
$2,280/mo
Cost of Living (Without Rent)
Rent Per Month
Attractiveness
City Details
Which visa fits your move?
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| Metric | Depok | Ubud |
|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment (Center) | $214.05 | $544.43 |
| 1BR Apartment (Outside) | $104.7 | $406.81 |
| 3BR Apartment (Center) | $251.28 | $1935.77 |
| 3BR Apartment (Outside) | $139.6 | $1395.99 |
| Safety Index | 58 | 70 |
| Internet Speed | 20.2Mbps | 20Mbps |
| Walkability Score | N/A | N/A |
Monthly cost by categoryOne person, computed from each city's own average prices
| Category | Depok | Ubud |
|---|---|---|
| Total (rent included) | $298/mo | $736/mo |
| Excluding rent | $193/mo | $329/mo |
| Rent | $105/mo | $407/mo |
| Groceries | $82.00/mo | $113/mo |
| Dining out | $14.00/mo | $28.00/mo |
| Entertainment & lifestyle | $27.00/mo | $83.00/mo |
| Utilities & connectivity | $57.00/mo | $105/mo |
| Transport | $13.00/mo | N/A |
Usage-based estimates from this city's own average prices. A row marked N/A means that city is missing data, so no figure is shown instead of a stale one.
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