Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,274 per month in Cape Town vs $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $2,585 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,747 per month in Cape Town vs $3,763 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Cape Town is about 9% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cape Town sits 5% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 5% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.87 R 179

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

215.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 743

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

39.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.17 R 85.3

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

6.82%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.77

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

-27.64%

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

$1.15 R 18.92

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.49

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 47.43

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

-4.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 R 40.43

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

-36.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.21

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 R 18.17

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

-55.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.32

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

62.39%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.79

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.55 R 141

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

-41.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 83.2

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

15.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.48 R 124

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

-37.56%

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.01

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

-59.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 R 23.42

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-12.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.10

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

-46.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 R 25.50

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-31.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.51

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.47

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

-45.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.94

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.79

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.02 R 49.78

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

-8.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 99.4

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

-74.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.97

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 R 27.55

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-38.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 R 16.01

$0.27 Rp 4,786

259.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.18 R 779

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

481.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 R 23.67

$0.48 Rp 8,675

197.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.41

$0.42 Rp 7,545

121.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 R 73.7

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

-28.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.65

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

46.91%

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

$21.2K R 350.2K

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

-20.25%

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

$23.9K R 394.4K

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

-25.76%

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

$99.4 R 1,641

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

26.92%

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

$33.36 R 550

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

719.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.88 R 675

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

68.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.96 R 693

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-57.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.18 R 135

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

29.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 113

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

72.18%

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

$210 R 3,467

$305 Rp 5.5M

-31.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,351 R 88.3K

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

-19.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 920

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

3.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.54 R 554

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

-11.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 R 1,867

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

30.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.6 R 1,413

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 R 12.7K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-22.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,631

$673 Rp 12.1M

-22.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 R 24.0K

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

-56.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,044 R 17.2K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-49.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,329 R 38.4K

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

-16.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,509 R 24.9K

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

-32.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 R 26.4K

$167 Rp 3.0M

858.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

13.28

-11.37%

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

Last update for Cape Town: July 14, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $768 in Cape Town versus $992 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 858% higher in Cape Town, 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 $45.00 in Cape Town versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cape Town vs $297 in Ubud, Bali – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 10% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,911 per month in Cape Town and $2,112 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,274 in Cape Town and $1,408 in Ubud, Bali. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 482% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,274, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,408. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,274 versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.