Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boroko and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Boroko: $868 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Boroko, Papua New Guinea
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Boroko
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea
$868
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $868 per month in Boroko vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Boroko $868
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,259 per month in Boroko vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Boroko $1,259
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,649 per month in Boroko vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Boroko $1,649
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Boroko is about 36% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.29 PGK 31.67
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
119.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.42 PGK 149
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
-3.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.35 PGK 23.26
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
-3.25%
Cappuccino
$2.48 PGK 10.76
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-8.82%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.71 PGK 3.06
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-58.24%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 PGK 2.78
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
-15.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.58 PGK 11.22
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-2.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.42 PGK 14.85
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-21.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 PGK 6.51
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
0.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.16 PGK 5.02
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
-49.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.16 PGK 5.03
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
-2.52%
Eggs
$3.55 PGK 15.40
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
74.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.98 PGK 21.65
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-71.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.79 PGK 20.79
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
20.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.61 PGK 28.72
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
-45.78%
Apples (1kg)
$3.85 PGK 16.70
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
5.19%
Banana (1kg)
$3.08 PGK 13.38
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
102.63%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 PGK 11.80
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
21.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.70 PGK 11.74
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
37.06%
Potato (1kg)
$2.82 PGK 12.24
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
52.43%
Onion (1kg)
$0.84 PGK 3.65
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-65.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 PGK 4.86
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
13.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 PGK 1.83
$0.51 Rp 9,332
-17.65%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.42 PGK 23.53
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
144.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.95 PGK 21.52
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-77.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.07 PGK 4.67
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-52.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 PGK 6.48
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-49.83%
🚌 Getting Around
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 PGK 1.83
$0.25 Rp 4,562
68.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$28.88 PGK 125
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
269.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.40 PGK 19.11
$0.44 Rp 7,989
900.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 PGK 5.83
$0.43 Rp 7,817
211.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.97 PGK 47.66
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
102.77%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.80 PGK 3.47
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
-2.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K PGK 155.0K
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
49.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.6K PGK 76.4K
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-44.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$61.6 PGK 267
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-22.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.71 PGK 90.0
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
221.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$82.1 PGK 357
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
341.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.86 PGK 182
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-15.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.29 PGK 62.1
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-19.04%
Cinema Ticket
$6.47 PGK 28.09
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
51.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$333 PGK 1,445
$491 Rp 8.9M
-32.18%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,215 PGK 9,621
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
-60.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$34.50 PGK 150
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-22.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$12.91 PGK 56.1
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-63.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$44.28 PGK 192
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-44.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$26.31 PGK 114
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-66.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,336 PGK 14.5K
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
196.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$221 PGK 959
$671 Rp 12.2M
-67.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,257 PGK 14.1K
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-8.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$218 PGK 947
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-87.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Boroko
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$352 PGK 1,530
$164 Rp 3.0M
115.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11
13.78
-20.17%

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

Last update for Boroko: 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
Boroko
$221
Ubud, Bali
$672 204% $451
Groceries & Markets
Boroko
$204
Ubud, Bali
$288 41.3% $84
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Boroko
$164
Ubud, Bali
$104 36.7% $60
Eating Out
Boroko
$129
Ubud, Bali
$108 16.7% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Boroko
$55
Ubud, Bali
$58 5.9% $3.2
Clothing & Footwear
Boroko
$53
Ubud, Bali
$108 103% $54
Getting Around
Boroko
$42
Ubud, Bali
$11 72.6% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,336 in Boroko versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Boroko are about 2.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34 in Boroko versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $204 vs $288 – making Boroko the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇬 Boroko
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
07:20 7:20 AM
05:20 5:20 AM
2 h behind Boroko
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to PGK – Papua New Guinean Kina Converter

Papua New Guinean Kina exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.34 PGK (1 PGK = 0.23 USD). 1 EUR = 4.84 PGK (1 PGK = 0.207 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Boroko Ubud, Bali 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Boroko
  • 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
Boroko vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Boroko or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali costs about 55% more than Boroko, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Boroko and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,302 per month in Boroko and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Boroko or Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $3,336 in Boroko.
How do childcare costs compare in Boroko and in Ubud, Bali?
Kindergarten costs $333 per month in Boroko and $491 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Boroko or in Ubud, Bali?
Groceries cost about 41% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Boroko or in Ubud, Bali?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $868 in Boroko and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Boroko or Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $868 in Boroko to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Boroko vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?