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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,684 in Kingston versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,889 in Kingston versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,093 in Kingston versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Kingston is roughly 21% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kingston 23% above, Ubud, Bali 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.95 JMD 2,513

$3.37 Rp 59.8K

373.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

$38.59 Rp 683.8K

92.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 JMD 1,388

$5.52 Rp 97.8K

59.60%

Cappuccino

$5.22 JMD 823

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

97.73%

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

$1.19 JMD 188

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

-28.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 109

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 JMD 345

$2.63 Rp 46.7K

-16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 JMD 486

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

-28.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.06 JMD 639

$1.55 Rp 27.4K

161.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 JMD 589

$2.22 Rp 39.4K

68.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 JMD 261

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

46.90%

Eggs

$3.61 JMD 570

$2.09 Rp 37.0K

72.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 JMD 1,826

$17.39 Rp 308.2K

-33.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 JMD 975

$3.87 Rp 68.5K

59.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.12 JMD 1,595

$12.55 Rp 222.4K

-19.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 JMD 964

$3.62 Rp 64.1K

69.06%

Banana (1kg)

$3.99 JMD 629

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

155.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 JMD 1,179

$2.35 Rp 41.7K

218.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.11 JMD 491

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

50.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.23 JMD 510

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

70.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 JMD 416

$2.34 Rp 41.4K

12.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 JMD 474

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

192.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 231

$0.55 Rp 9,830

165.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.74 JMD 1,534

$2.25 Rp 39.9K

332.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 JMD 1,785

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

-52.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 JMD 439

$2.31 Rp 41.0K

20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 JMD 625

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 JMD 128

$0.27 Rp 4,827

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 JMD 6,082

$8.66 Rp 153.5K

345.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 JMD 193

$0.48 Rp 8,533

156.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.14 JMD 496

$0.45 Rp 7,904

597.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.15 JMD 970

$5.72 Rp 101.4K

7.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 JMD 215

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

78.95%

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

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

$24.5K Rp 433.9M

78.43%

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

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

$32.1K Rp 569.3M

0.87%

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

$172 JMD 27.1K

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

105.72%

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

$29.66 JMD 4,675

$6.46 Rp 114.4K

359.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 JMD 8,278

$18.99 Rp 336.6K

176.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 JMD 9,862

$56.0 Rp 992.0K

11.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.94 JMD 2,827

$18.62 Rp 329.9K

-3.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.35 JMD 2,103

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

211.92%

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

$367 JMD 57.8K

$487 Rp 8.6M

-24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

$5,856 Rp 103.8M

41.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.88 JMD 3,764

$45.56 Rp 807.4K

-47.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 JMD 5,020

$36.38 Rp 644.7K

-12.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

-3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 JMD 16.1K

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

26.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$972 JMD 153.2K

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

-12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 88.7K

$701 Rp 12.4M

-19.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

$3,537 Rp 62.7M

-40.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

-18.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

$2,826 Rp 50.1M

2.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

$2,292 Rp 40.6M

-10.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 JMD 119.3K

$170 Rp 3.0M

345.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

13.78

-31.42%

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

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $972 in Kingston and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 346% 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: $74.0 in Kingston vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $293 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Kingston. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 346% higher in Kingston, 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: $972 in Kingston versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $367 in Kingston versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,684 in Kingston, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Kingston. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,396 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kingston 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 21% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.