Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,073 in Durham, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index
66

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

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Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,073

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Durham versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham $2,073
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,286 in Durham versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham $3,286
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Durham versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Durham $4,498
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Durham is roughly 54% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 55% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.57 £14.79

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

487.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 £70.6

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

163.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 £8.61

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

97.92%

Cappuccino

$4.56 £3.44

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

73.38%

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

$2.54 £1.92

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

45.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.54

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

164.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 £4.59

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

124.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £4.03

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

17.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

27.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.17

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

-30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.29

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

148.36%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.30

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

104.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 £7.57

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

-43.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 £6.69

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

129.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.35 £16.13

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

77.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.21

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

-18.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 £1.91

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

67.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.08

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

18.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 £3.84

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

154.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.18

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

-13.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 £1.29

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-28.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.42

$0.52 Rp 9,373

261.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.61 £17.84

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

983.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £8.04

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

-53.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.50

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.38

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

5.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.44

$0.24 Rp 4,255

1245.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 £65.7

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

1143.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 £4.83

$0.44 Rp 7,876

1352.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 £1.46

$0.42 Rp 7,582

359.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 £17.89

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

334.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.42

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

123.81%

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

$37.8K £28.6K

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

55.57%

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

$41.1K £31.1K

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

28.90%

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

$265 £200

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

227.27%

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

$15.21 £11.49

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

131.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £32.45

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

135.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.78 £35.35

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

-15.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 £9.45

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

195.05%

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

$1,300 £982

$486 Rp 8.7M

167.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K £19.1K

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

344.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £80.3

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

135.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 £53.9

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

106.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £86.1

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

43.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £73.5

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

25.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 £1,163

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

36.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 £562

$674 Rp 12.1M

10.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 £2,011

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 £1,183

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

-9.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,034 £3,804

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

77.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,862 £2,919

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

67.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,064 £1,559

$166 Rp 3.0M

1145.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

13.78

-62.41%

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

Last update for Durham: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham

$743 35.7%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 9.3% $69

Groceries & Markets

Durham

$348 16.7%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 16.7% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham

$323 15.5%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 67.3% $217

Eating Out

Durham

$305 14.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 64.5% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Durham

$175 8.4%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 39.2% $69

Getting Around

Durham

$116 5.6%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 90.9% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Durham

$72 3.5%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 11.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,539 in Durham and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 1146% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93.0 in Durham vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Durham

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

09:30 9:30 AM

16:30 4:30 PM

7 h ahead of Durham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,100

74,800

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

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Between locations

Durham Ubud, Bali 12,480 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham
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

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

Durham and Ubud, Bali differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($2,073 vs $1,348 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1146% higher in Durham, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,539 in Durham versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,073 per month in Durham versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 1144% less than in Durham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,073 in Durham, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Durham. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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, Durham and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Durham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.