Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kingston and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,668 in Kingston, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. The total is higher in Kingston despite lower rent and utilities.

81

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
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Kingston Living Index
67

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

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Kingston

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,668

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,668 in Kingston versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Kingston $1,668
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,812 in Kingston versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Kingston $2,812
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,955 in Kingston versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Kingston $3,955
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Kingston is roughly 22% 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: Kingston 24% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 JMD 2,099

$3.33 Rp 59.8K

299.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 JMD 11.7K

$35.18 Rp 631.2K

109.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 JMD 1,285

$5.80 Rp 104.1K

40.34%

Cappuccino

$5.45 JMD 861

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

99.63%

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

$1.14 JMD 180

$1.64 Rp 29.4K

-30.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 JMD 115

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

-13.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 JMD 341

$2.70 Rp 48.4K

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 JMD 491

$4.30 Rp 77.1K

-27.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.19 JMD 661

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

179.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 JMD 598

$2.30 Rp 41.2K

64.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 JMD 254

$1.18 Rp 21.1K

36.44%

Eggs

$3.48 JMD 550

$2.14 Rp 38.5K

62.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 JMD 1,801

$17.48 Rp 313.6K

-34.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.35 JMD 1,003

$4.03 Rp 72.3K

57.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 JMD 1,644

$12.23 Rp 219.4K

-14.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.05 JMD 957

$3.55 Rp 63.7K

70.42%

Banana (1kg)

$3.82 JMD 604

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

143.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.25 JMD 1,146

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

223.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.06 JMD 484

$1.93 Rp 34.6K

58.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 JMD 506

$1.88 Rp 33.8K

70.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 JMD 415

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

14.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 JMD 494

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

216.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 JMD 228

$0.53 Rp 9,445

171.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 JMD 1,498

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

315.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.36 JMD 1,795

$23.01 Rp 412.9K

-50.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 JMD 453

$2.34 Rp 42.0K

22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 JMD 613

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 JMD 119

$0.24 Rp 4,301

212.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.27 JMD 5,888

$8.82 Rp 158.2K

322.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 JMD 192

$0.48 Rp 8,657

154.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 JMD 505

$0.46 Rp 8,207

595.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 JMD 996

$5.45 Rp 97.9K

15.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 JMD 219

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

57.95%

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

$44.3K JMD 7.0M

$24.6K Rp 440.8M

80.28%

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

$32.8K JMD 5.2M

$31.2K Rp 559.6M

5.11%

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

$167 JMD 26.4K

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

100.95%

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

$29.86 JMD 4,717

$6.45 Rp 115.7K

362.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 JMD 8,443

$18.57 Rp 333.1K

187.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.9 JMD 9,787

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

10.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 JMD 2,782

$18.11 Rp 324.9K

-2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$13.15 JMD 2,078

$4.38 Rp 78.6K

200.23%

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

$359 JMD 56.7K

$493 Rp 8.8M

-27.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,382 JMD 1.3M

$5,754 Rp 103.2M

45.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.75 JMD 3,752

$46.19 Rp 828.8K

-48.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.13 JMD 4,918

$35.33 Rp 634.0K

-11.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.9 JMD 12.2K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 JMD 15.9K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

28.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 JMD 154.0K

$1,142 Rp 20.5M

-14.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 JMD 89.0K

$676 Rp 12.1M

-16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 JMD 338.5K

$3,503 Rp 62.9M

-38.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,421 JMD 224.6K

$1,700 Rp 30.5M

-16.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,876 JMD 454.4K

$2,784 Rp 50.0M

3.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,044 JMD 323.0K

$2,241 Rp 40.2M

-8.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 JMD 116.1K

$165 Rp 3.0M

346.52%

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: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kingston

$563 33.8%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 20% $113

Groceries & Markets

Kingston

$384 23%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 24.4% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kingston

$250 15%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 56.8% $142

Eating Out

Kingston

$221 13.2%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 50.7% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Kingston

$105 6.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 2.9% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Kingston

$88 5.3%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 26.8% $24

Getting Around

Kingston

$57 3.5%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 78.2% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $975 in Kingston and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kingston pays 347% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Kingston

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

01:28 1:28 AM

13 h ahead of Kingston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

660,000 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,174 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kingston Ubud, Bali 18,340 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Kingston
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 22% 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 347% 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: $975 in Kingston versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $359 in Kingston versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Kingston. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,668 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 $1,368 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 22% less than in Kingston. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.