Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kauai, Hawaii and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,632 in Kauai, Hawaii, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Kauai, Hawaii
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Kauai, Hawaii Living Index
64

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

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Kauai, Hawaii

🇺🇸 United States

$2,632

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,632 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

Kauai, Hawaii $2,632
Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,862 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

Kauai, Hawaii $3,862
Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,093 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

Kauai, Hawaii $5,093
Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Kauai, Hawaii is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kauai, Hawaii is 95% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 $19.26

$3.38 Rp 61.1K

469.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$34.65 Rp 627.3K

117.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$5.57 Rp 100.9K

94.43%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.62 Rp 47.4K

94.66%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

68.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

217.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 $6.02

$2.67 Rp 48.3K

125.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$4.26 Rp 77.2K

59.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

-28.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.29 Rp 41.5K

55.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

281.98%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$2.10 Rp 38.0K

93.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 $12.04

$15.94 Rp 288.6K

-24.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$3.88 Rp 70.3K

190.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 $15.13

$11.40 Rp 206.4K

32.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.55 Rp 64.3K

34.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

87.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

139.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.86 Rp 33.6K

54.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.42 Rp 43.8K

19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

97.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.52 Rp 9,456

321.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$2.20 Rp 39.8K

326.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 $14.26

$21.79 Rp 394.4K

-34.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.33 Rp 42.1K

-23.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

11.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.25 Rp 4,533

680.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$8.17 Rp 148.0K

624.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$0.44 Rp 7,925

672.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.47 Rp 8,472

236.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.03 $29.03

$5.60 Rp 101.4K

418.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$24.4K Rp 442.6M

22.25%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$31.7K Rp 573.8M

-18.66%

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

$188 $188

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

142.04%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$6.14 Rp 111.2K

773.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$18.92 Rp 342.4K

258.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.48 $43.48

$51.0 Rp 923.1K

-14.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 330.4K

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$4.38 Rp 79.3K

214.38%

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

$1,309 $1,309

$492 Rp 8.9M

165.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$12.2K Rp 221.2M

95.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$45.16 Rp 817.6K

13.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.34 $40.34

$34.89 Rp 631.6K

15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 $86.7

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

10.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

46.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$1,078 Rp 19.5M

51.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$665 Rp 12.0M

102.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$3,510 Rp 63.5M

-25.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,254 $2,254

$1,671 Rp 30.2M

34.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,722 $2,722

$2,340 Rp 42.4M

16.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,447 $2,447

$2,236 Rp 40.5M

9.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

13.78

-52.76%

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

Last update for Kauai, Hawaii: October 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kauai, Hawaii

$1.3K 51.2%

Ubud, Bali

$665 50% 50.7% $683

Groceries & Markets

Kauai, Hawaii

$384 14.6%

Ubud, Bali

$279 21% 27.2% $104

Eating Out

Kauai, Hawaii

$310 11.8%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 65.9% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kauai, Hawaii

$309 11.7%

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7% 66.8% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Kauai, Hawaii

$131 5%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 19.1% $25

Getting Around

Kauai, Hawaii

$78 3%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 84.7% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Kauai, Hawaii

$71 2.7%

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5% 15.9% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Kauai, Hawaii and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75 in Kauai, Hawaii vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Kauai, Hawaii

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

07:59 7:59 AM

18 h ahead of Kauai, Hawaii

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,610

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,231 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Kauai, Hawaii Ubud, Bali 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Kauai, Hawaii
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Kauai, Hawaii. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,947 in Kauai, Hawaii and $1,996 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,631 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 86% less than in Kauai, Hawaii. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,309 in Kauai, Hawaii versus $492 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value at $1,331 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

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

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Kauai, Hawaii. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.