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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in KwaMhlanga versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,575 in KwaMhlanga versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,150 in KwaMhlanga versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in KwaMhlanga costs roughly 29% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: KwaMhlanga is 25% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 R 144

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

153.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.20 R 564

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 82.3

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

2.89%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 34.69

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

-23.64%

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

$1.03 R 16.97

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

-25.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.42

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 R 37.32

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

-24.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 42.77

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

-32.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.10

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.61

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

-58.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.71

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

38.46%

Eggs

$2.42 R 39.92

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

-0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 R 124

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

-48.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.58 R 75.6

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.85 R 113

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

-42.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.63 R 26.89

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

-56.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.04

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.23

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

-46.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.07

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-26.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.67

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-31.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.43

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

-45.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.47

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.24

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 R 47.39

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

-12.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 R 79.1

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

-79.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.93

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 R 27.32

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-39.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.66 R 27.42

$0.27 Rp 4,786

514.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.86

$0.48 Rp 8,675

137.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.91

$0.42 Rp 7,545

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 R 67.1

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

-34.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.07

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

58.02%

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

$21.1K R 349.0K

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

-20.52%

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

$24.3K R 401.6K

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

-24.40%

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

$120 R 1,986

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

53.57%

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

$35.16 R 580

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

763.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.12 R 695

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 R 512

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-68.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 108

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

64.16%

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

$195 R 3,220

$305 Rp 5.5M

-36.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,377 R 72.2K

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

-34.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 R 830

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

-7.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.67 R 523

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

-16.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 R 1,477

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.5 R 1,328

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

5.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 R 5,898

$992 Rp 17.8M

-63.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$329 R 5,425

$673 Rp 12.1M

-51.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$681 R 11.2K

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

-79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 R 11.4K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-66.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$790 R 13.0K

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

-71.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$598 R 9,869

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

-73.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.28

-13.33%

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

Last update for KwaMhlanga: July 13, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in KwaMhlanga and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in KwaMhlanga vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $176 vs $297, with KwaMhlanga 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

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

KwaMhlanga wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making KwaMhlanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,500 in KwaMhlanga and $2,112 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: $357 in KwaMhlanga versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,000 per month in KwaMhlanga versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,000 in KwaMhlanga versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in KwaMhlanga but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes KwaMhlanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but KwaMhlanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,000 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes KwaMhlanga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, KwaMhlanga 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 KwaMhlanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.