Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Melbourne and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,849 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index
65

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

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Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,849

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,849 in Melbourne versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Melbourne $2,849
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,274 in Melbourne versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Melbourne $4,274
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Melbourne versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Melbourne $5,699
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Melbourne is roughly 111% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 A$24.88

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

427.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 A$120

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

136.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 A$17.30

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

120.07%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.79

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

49.63%

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

$3.18 A$4.52

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

87.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 A$3.55

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

228.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.57 A$13.61

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

261.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.73

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

88.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

0.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 A$4.22

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

30.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.82

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

125.21%

Eggs

$5.45 A$7.76

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

167.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.71 A$15.23

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-39.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 A$14.29

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

153.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 A$21.33

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

23.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.79

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.46

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

106.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.43

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

39.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 A$6.73

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

140.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 A$4.24

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

61.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.55

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

2.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 A$3.53

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

150.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 A$2.27

$0.51 Rp 9,255

213.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.65 A$63.5

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

1911.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.68 A$18.03

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-42.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.55 A$7.89

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

145.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.18 A$7.37

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

74.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 A$5.46

$0.25 Rp 4,525

1436.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 A$197

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

1673.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 A$6.20

$0.44 Rp 7,923

890.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 A$1.94

$0.43 Rp 7,753

218.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 A$42.26

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

449.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 A$2.11

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

81.71%

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

$29.1K A$41.4K

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

22.01%

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

$25.7K A$36.5K

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

-19.15%

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

$236 A$335

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

198.08%

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

$28.01 A$39.83

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

334.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$81.4

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

208.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 A$68.8

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

-2.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.46 A$30.52

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

21.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.67 A$25.12

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

313.82%

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

$2,461 A$3,499

$491 Rp 8.8M

401.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.7K A$42.2K

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

423.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.2 A$115

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

81.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 A$70.1

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

41.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$170

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$186

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

64.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 A$2,421

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

51.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,003

$671 Rp 12.1M

109.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,496 A$4,971

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-1.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 A$3,593

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

46.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,978 A$11.3K

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

192.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,900 A$9,812

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

202.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,257 A$6,053

$164 Rp 3.0M

2498.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

13.78

-57.18%

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

Last update for Melbourne: 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

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.4%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 52.3% $737

Groceries & Markets

Melbourne

$386 13.6%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 25.4% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Melbourne

$321 11.3%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 67.6% $217

Eating Out

Melbourne

$312 11%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 65.5% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Melbourne

$171 6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 37.3% $64

Getting Around

Melbourne

$165 5.8%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 93.1% $154

Sport & Entertainment

Melbourne

$84 2.9%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 30.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,703 in Melbourne and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays about 26 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Melbourne vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

00:03 12:03 AM

21:03 9:03 PM

3 h behind Melbourne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,031,195

74,800

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Melbourne Ubud, Bali 4,410 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Melbourne
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

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

Melbourne and Ubud, Bali differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,849 vs $1,349 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Melbourne is about 26 times higher, 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: $1,703 in Melbourne versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,461 in Melbourne versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Melbourne 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 53% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.