Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brisbane and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $2,518 in Brisbane, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brisbane
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,518
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,518 per month in Brisbane vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Brisbane $2,518
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $3,720 per month in Brisbane vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Brisbane $3,720
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $4,922 per month in Brisbane vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Brisbane $4,922
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Brisbane costs about 86% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brisbane and Ubud, Bali sit above the global median – Brisbane by 86%, Ubud, Bali by 0%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.39 A$25.02
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
438.39%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$70.9 A$102
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
103.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.09 A$15.95
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
94.56%
Cappuccino
$4.43 A$6.38
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
69.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.90 A$4.17
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
68.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 A$3.49
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.42 A$12.12
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
217.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.31 A$11.96
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
90.16%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 A$2.40
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
6.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.72 A$3.92
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
24.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.29 A$3.29
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
94.07%
Eggs
$4.82 A$6.94
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
123.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 A$13.03
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-48.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.18 A$13.21
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
142.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.21 A$20.45
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
18.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.31 A$6.20
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
19.72%
Banana (1kg)
$3.04 A$4.38
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
91.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.00 A$4.32
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
29.87%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.75 A$6.84
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
148.69%
Potato (1kg)
$2.72 A$3.92
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
52.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.34 A$3.37
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
0.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.42 A$3.48
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
142.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 A$1.71
$0.53 Rp 9,509
124.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$38.67 A$55.7
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
1588.65%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.66 A$18.21
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
-42.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$5.40 A$7.77
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
129.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.13 A$7.38
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
72.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.37 A$0.53
$0.23 Rp 4,112
60.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$20.72 A$29.81
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
132.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 A$4.20
$0.47 Rp 8,466
521.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 A$2.68
$0.43 Rp 7,737
332.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.05 A$59.1
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
650.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 A$2.01
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
68.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.8K
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
24.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K A$37.4K
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-20.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 A$229
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
98.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$26.52 A$38.16
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
304.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.6 A$87.2
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
225.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.9 A$87.6
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
12.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.22 A$31.97
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
21.55%
Cinema Ticket
$14.14 A$20.34
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
232.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,952 A$2,808
$493 Rp 8.9M
296.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K A$18.3K
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
126.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$83.3 A$120
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
82.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.69 A$62.9
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
24.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 A$163
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
45.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$111 A$160
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
41.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,939 A$2,790
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
71.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,322 A$1,902
$673 Rp 12.1M
96.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,408 A$4,904
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-5.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,242 A$3,226
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
31.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,271 A$11.9K
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
204.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,920 A$8,518
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
164.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brisbane
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,183 A$6,020
$166 Rp 3.0M
2414.47%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.81
13.78
-57.84%

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

Last update for Brisbane: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brisbane
$1.3K
Ubud, Bali
$673 49.1% $649
Groceries & Markets
Brisbane
$363
Ubud, Bali
$287 20.9% $76
Eating Out
Brisbane
$306
Ubud, Bali
$106 65.2% $199
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brisbane
$246
Ubud, Bali
$105 57.3% $141
Clothing & Footwear
Brisbane
$158
Ubud, Bali
$107 32.6% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Brisbane
$89
Ubud, Bali
$63 29.7% $27
Getting Around
Brisbane
$34
Ubud, Bali
$12 63.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,939 in Brisbane versus $1,131 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 run about 2414% higher in Brisbane, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $287 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Brisbane
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
08:18 8:18 AM
06:18 6:18 AM
2 h behind Brisbane
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,287,896
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brisbane Ubud, Bali 4,490 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brisbane
  • 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
Brisbane vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Brisbane or Ubud, Bali?
Brisbane costs about 86% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. 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 Brisbane and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,777 per month in Brisbane and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Brisbane or Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Brisbane or in Ubud, Bali?
Groceries cost about 26% more in Brisbane, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Brisbane and in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Brisbane and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Brisbane or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Brisbane at $2,518. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brisbane it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Brisbane or Ubud, Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,353 versus $2,518 in Brisbane. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Brisbane compared to Ubud, Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Brisbane or to Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brisbane makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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