Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Butare: $369 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Butare
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Butare Living Index
65

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

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Butare

🇷🇼 Rwanda

$369

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $369 in Butare versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Butare $369
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $589 in Butare versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Butare $589
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $809 in Butare versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Butare $809
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Butare costs roughly 73% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.74 RWF 4,025

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

-17.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.44 RWF 44.8K

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

-14.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 RWF 10.0K

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

23.33%

Cappuccino

$2.39 RWF 3,522

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

-12.13%

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

$0.81 RWF 1,189

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-52.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.55 RWF 807

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-27.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.05 RWF 1,544

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

-60.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 RWF 3,461

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

-46.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.33 RWF 481

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

-77.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 RWF 1,214

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

-63.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 RWF 1,460

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-16.81%

Eggs

$1.60 RWF 2,358

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

-21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.64 RWF 2,413

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

-90.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.42 RWF 3,565

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

-38.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.02 RWF 4,450

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

-75.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 RWF 2,943

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

-45.36%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 RWF 1,126

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

-49.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.18 RWF 1,739

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

-47.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.83 RWF 1,226

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

-57.87%

Potato (1kg)

$0.42 RWF 622

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-77.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.26 RWF 380

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

-89.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.14 RWF 206

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-85.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 RWF 1,253

$0.51 Rp 9,332

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.00 RWF 2,936

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

-9.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 RWF 14.9K

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

-54.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 RWF 1,445

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

-56.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 RWF 2,299

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

-47.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 RWF 3,950

$0.44 Rp 7,989

511.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 RWF 2,951

$0.43 Rp 7,817

367.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 RWF 5,024

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

-36.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 RWF 2,700

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

124.39%

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

$25.6K RWF 37.7M

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

7.40%

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

$29.2K RWF 42.9M

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

-8.13%

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

$82.6 RWF 121.5K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

4.50%

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

$7.03 RWF 10.3K

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

8.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.06 RWF 31.0K

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

13.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$3.30 RWF 4,859

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

-22.72%

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

$112 RWF 165.5K

$491 Rp 8.9M

-77.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,515 RWF 14.0M

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

67.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.51 RWF 25.8K

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

-60.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.43 RWF 22.7K

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

-55.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$22.09 RWF 32.5K

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

-72.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.89 RWF 49.9K

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-57.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

13.78

17.56%

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

Last update for Butare: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Butare

$112 30.5%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 157% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butare

$111 30%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 6% $6.6

Eating Out

Butare

$86 23.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 24.6% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Butare

$40 10.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 169% $68

Getting Around

Butare

$13 * 3.5%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 10.1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Butare

$6.6 * 1.8%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 778% $51

Accommodation & Living

Butare

- * 0%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Butare vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $112 vs $288 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇼 Butare

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

6 h ahead of Butare

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,823

74,800

💱 Currency

Rwandan Franc RWF Fr

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD

10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇼 Rwandan Franc (Fr)

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,471 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.8 USD). 1 EUR = 1,638 RWF (10,000 RWF = 6.11 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to RWF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Butare Ubud, Bali 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Butare
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

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

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $553 in Butare and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 157% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $369 per month in Butare versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Butare is about 73% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $369 in Butare versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $800 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Butare and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.