Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Grahamstown versus $2,313 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,435 in Grahamstown versus $3,252 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 16% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 14% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.18 R 186

$3.32 Rp 59.5K

236.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 R 714

$35.33 Rp 632.1K

21.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.85 R 97.5

$5.33 Rp 95.4K

9.76%

Cappuccino

$2.11 R 35.08

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

-23.27%

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

$1.05 R 17.46

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

-39.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 13.04

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.72 R 45.36

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

-7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 R 54.5

$4.44 Rp 79.4K

-26.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 19.09

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 R 17.80

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

-53.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.75

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

35.45%

Eggs

$2.85 R 47.54

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

31.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.90 R 148

$17.09 Rp 305.7K

-47.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 88.8

$3.88 Rp 69.4K

37.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.94 R 149

$11.92 Rp 213.2K

-25.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 R 35.71

$3.57 Rp 63.8K

-40.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 R 26.04

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

-1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.63

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

-27.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.73

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

-6.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 R 28.54

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

-5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.44

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

-38.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 R 21.20

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

24.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.16

$0.49 Rp 8,792

110.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 R 56.1

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

49.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.06 R 84.2

$22.30 Rp 399.0K

-77.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 R 20.52

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

-48.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 R 31.07

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

-35.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.57 R 26.13

$0.25 Rp 4,457

528.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.65 R 10.81

$0.44 Rp 7,906

47.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.38

$0.42 Rp 7,556

19.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 R 140

$5.66 Rp 101.3K

49.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.82

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

76.54%

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

$36.7K R 611.2K

$23.7K Rp 424.7M

54.64%

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

$33.9K R 564.7K

$31.0K Rp 554.3M

9.48%

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

$124 R 2,069

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

50.95%

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

$35.82 R 596

$6.30 Rp 112.7K

468.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.54 R 775

$18.63 Rp 333.4K

149.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.84 R 547

$54.7 Rp 979.2K

-40.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.50 R 191

$18.45 Rp 330.1K

-37.67%

Cinema Ticket

$10.63 R 177

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

150.71%

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

$184 R 3,065

$484 Rp 8.7M

-61.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,014 R 83.5K

$5,590 Rp 100.0M

-10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 R 1,203

$45.77 Rp 818.9K

57.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.82 R 646

$35.69 Rp 638.6K

8.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,894

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

45.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.9 R 1,614

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$399 R 6,651

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

-65.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 6,143

$678 Rp 12.1M

-45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 R 12.7K

$3,504 Rp 62.7M

-78.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 R 12.8K

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

-54.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$864 R 14.4K

$2,788 Rp 49.9M

-69.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$644 R 10.7K

$2,257 Rp 40.4M

-71.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,235 R 20.6K

$165 Rp 3.0M

648.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

13.78

-13.35%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $399 in Grahamstown and $1,147 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 648% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Grahamstown vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $201 vs $286, with Grahamstown cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 648% higher in Grahamstown, 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: $399 in Grahamstown versus $1,147 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,155 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,155 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.