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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,910 in Melbourne versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,408 in Melbourne versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,905 in Melbourne versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Melbourne is roughly 111% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Melbourne 111% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.41 A$25.66

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

452.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 A$121

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

141.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.46 A$17.38

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

121.31%

Cappuccino

$4.17 A$5.81

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

47.87%

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

$3.15 A$4.40

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

80.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 A$3.70

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

231.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 A$14.01

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

230.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.51 A$11.86

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

97.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 A$2.25

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 A$4.58

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.21

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

158.12%

Eggs

$6.00 A$8.36

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

176.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 A$15.42

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-37.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.92 A$13.83

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

144.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 A$22.12

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

30.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 A$6.15

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

21.82%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.49

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

96.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.80

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

49.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 A$6.85

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

150.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.37

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

70.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 A$3.71

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

12.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 A$3.51

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

140.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 A$2.36

$0.54 Rp 9,560

212.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.21 A$64.4

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

1909.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 A$17.54

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-45.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.41 A$7.54

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

131.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 A$7.43

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

73.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.03 A$5.62

$0.25 Rp 4,365

1512.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$142 A$198

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

1406.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 A$6.56

$0.49 Rp 8,631

861.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 A$1.97

$0.47 Rp 8,349

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.32 A$43.67

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

459.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

76.54%

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

$29.5K A$41.1K

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

17.78%

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

$27.0K A$37.6K

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-13.23%

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

$239 A$334

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

189.22%

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

$28.19 A$39.30

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

334.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 A$79.9

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

205.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 A$77.9

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.72 A$31.68

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$17.89 A$24.94

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

316.05%

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

$2,456 A$3,424

$494 Rp 8.7M

396.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.5K A$44.0K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

432.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.4 A$115

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

78.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 A$72.6

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

42.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 A$168

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

49.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 A$191

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 A$2,477

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

59.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 A$2,032

$693 Rp 12.2M

110.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 A$4,965

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-2.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,568 A$3,581

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

49.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,269 A$10.1K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

163.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,897 A$9,616

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

200.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,459 A$6,217

$167 Rp 2.9M

2568.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

13.78

-57.62%

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

Last update for Melbourne: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,777 in Melbourne and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Melbourne pays 2569% 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: $86.0 in Melbourne vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $294 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

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

Melbourne and Ubud, Bali differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($2,910 vs $1,378 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2569% higher in Melbourne, 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: $1,777 in Melbourne versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,456 in Melbourne versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Melbourne. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,910 in Melbourne, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Melbourne. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 111% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.