Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kigali and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kigali: $881 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Kigali, Rwanda
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Kigali
🇷🇼 Rwanda
$881
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $881 in Kigali versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Kigali $881
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,373 in Kigali versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Kigali $1,373
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Kigali versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Kigali $1,865
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Kigali costs roughly 35% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.74 RWF 4,030
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
-17.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.98 RWF 45.6K
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
-13.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.89 RWF 10.1K
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
24.59%
Cappuccino
$2.44 RWF 3,586
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-10.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.80 RWF 1,170
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-52.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58 RWF 857
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
-23.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.04 RWF 1,525
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-60.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 RWF 3,555
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-44.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 RWF 1,255
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-42.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 RWF 1,506
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
-55.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 RWF 1,931
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
10.08%
Eggs
$1.68 RWF 2,469
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
-17.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.11 RWF 6,046
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-76.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.63 RWF 6,804
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
16.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.43 RWF 6,523
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
-63.66%
Apples (1kg)
$2.43 RWF 3,569
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
-33.61%
Banana (1kg)
$0.77 RWF 1,132
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
-49.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.55 RWF 2,284
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
-30.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.08 RWF 1,585
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
-45.18%
Potato (1kg)
$0.48 RWF 702
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
-74.05%
Onion (1kg)
$0.71 RWF 1,040
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-70.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.66 RWF 971
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 RWF 1,172
$0.51 Rp 9,332
56.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 RWF 2,915
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
-10.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.11 RWF 14.9K
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-54.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 RWF 1,529
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-53.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 RWF 2,265
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-48.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.35 RWF 516
$0.25 Rp 4,562
40.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$25.84 RWF 38.0K
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
230.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.76 RWF 4,059
$0.44 Rp 7,989
527.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 RWF 2,915
$0.43 Rp 7,817
360.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.41 RWF 5,024
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
-36.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.88 RWF 2,770
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
129.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.3K RWF 38.7M
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
10.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.9K RWF 44.0M
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-5.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.6 RWF 123.0K
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
5.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.96 RWF 10.2K
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
7.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.33 RWF 31.4K
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
14.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.27 RWF 43.1K
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-40.84%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.15 RWF 6,109
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-76.49%
Cinema Ticket
$3.47 RWF 5,102
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
-18.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$111 RWF 163.4K
$491 Rp 8.9M
-77.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,515 RWF 14.0M
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
67.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.52 RWF 25.8K
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-60.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.25 RWF 22.4K
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-56.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$22.03 RWF 32.4K
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-72.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$33.75 RWF 49.6K
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-57.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$672 RWF 988.3K
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-40.27%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$415 RWF 610.0K
$671 Rp 12.2M
-38.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,358 RWF 2.0M
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-61.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$838 RWF 1.2M
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-51.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,389 RWF 5.0M
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
24.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,078 RWF 4.5M
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
34.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kigali
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$279 RWF 410.7K
$164 Rp 3.0M
70.39%
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 Kigali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Kigali
$415
Ubud, Bali
$672 61.9% $257
Groceries & Markets
Kigali
$151
Ubud, Bali
$288 90.5% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kigali
$112
Ubud, Bali
$104 7% $7.9
Eating Out
Kigali
$87
Ubud, Bali
$108 23.2% $20
Getting Around
Kigali
$40
Ubud, Bali
$11 71.4% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Kigali
$40
Ubud, Bali
$108 170% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Kigali
$36
Ubud, Bali
$58 60.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Kigali and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kigali pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $31 in Kigali vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $151 vs $288 per month, with Kigali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇼 Kigali
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
22:36 10:36 PM
04:36 4:36 AM
6 h ahead of Kigali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,132,686 Capital
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to RWF – Rwandan Franc Converter

Rwandan Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kigali Ubud, Bali 9,450 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kigali
  • 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
Kigali vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kigali or Ubud, Bali?
Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Kigali or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay runs 70% higher in Kigali, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Kigali compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $672 in Kigali versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Kigali or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 91% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How do dining costs compare in Kigali and in Ubud, Bali?
Dining out is cheaper in Kigali – a meal for two runs $31 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $800/month in Kigali or in Ubud, Bali?
Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Kigali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Kigali or Ubud, Bali?
Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value at $881 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.
How safe is Kigali compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Kigali and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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