Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Midrand and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Midrand: $1,097 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Midrand, South Africa
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Midrand
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,097
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,097 in Midrand versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Midrand $1,097
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,641 in Midrand versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Midrand $1,641
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,185 in Midrand versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Midrand $2,185
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Midrand costs roughly 19% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.71 R 95.3
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
71.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$30.15 R 503
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
-15.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.12 R 52.1
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
-43.58%
Cappuccino
$1.78 R 29.69
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
-34.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 R 20.49
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-27.65%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.92 R 15.38
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
21.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.37 R 39.48
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
-10.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 R 39.95
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
-45.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 R 22.25
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
-10.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.19 R 19.94
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
-47.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 R 21.82
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
10.08%
Eggs
$2.80 R 46.72
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
37.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.06 R 151
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
-48.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.55 R 92.7
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
40.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.05 R 151
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
-25.76%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 R 33.73
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
-44.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.09 R 18.14
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
-28.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.75 R 29.29
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
-21.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.49 R 24.88
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
-24.37%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 R 28.70
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
-7.03%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 R 30.84
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
-23.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 R 20.56
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
24.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 R 21.28
$0.51 Rp 9,313
149.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.29 R 55.0
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
48.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.42 R 90.4
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
-75.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 R 15.70
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
-58.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 R 20.73
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
-58.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.50 R 25.12
$0.25 Rp 4,553
500.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 R 13.86
$0.44 Rp 7,972
88.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.58 R 9.69
$0.43 Rp 7,801
34.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$14.67 R 245
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
171.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 R 24.33
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
78.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K R 573.5K
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
44.10%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$30.3K R 505.0K
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
-4.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$108 R 1,801
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
36.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.41 R 408
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
278.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$37.64 R 628
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
102.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.28 R 539
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
-34.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.71 R 179
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
-39.32%
Cinema Ticket
$8.73 R 146
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
104.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$183 R 3,059
$491 Rp 8.9M
-62.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,471 R 91.3K
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
-3.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.3 R 989
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
32.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.72 R 763
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
30.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.3 R 1,407
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
5.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$84.2 R 1,406
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
6.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$492 R 8,219
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-56.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$441 R 7,354
$671 Rp 12.2M
-34.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$834 R 13.9K
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
-76.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$758 R 12.7K
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-55.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$867 R 14.5K
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
-68.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$694 R 11.6K
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
-69.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Midrand
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$164 Rp 3.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.91
13.78
-20.83%

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

Last update for Midrand: 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
Midrand
$441
Ubud, Bali
$672 52.4% $231
Groceries & Markets
Midrand
$202
Ubud, Bali
$288 42.8% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Midrand
$170
Ubud, Bali
$104 38.8% $66
Clothing & Footwear
Midrand
$123
Ubud, Bali
$108 12.7% $16
Eating Out
Midrand
$102
Ubud, Bali
$108 6% $6.1
Sport & Entertainment
Midrand
$50
Ubud, Bali
$58 16.7% $8.3
Getting Around
Midrand
$9.8 *
Ubud, Bali
$11 17.1% $1.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $492 in Midrand and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $30 in Midrand vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $202 vs $288 per month, with Midrand cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Midrand
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
12:10 12:10 PM
18:10 6:10 PM
6 h ahead of Midrand
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
87,387
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.69 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.63 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Midrand Ubud, Bali 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Midrand
  • 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
Midrand vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Midrand cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Midrand is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,645 in Midrand and $2,023 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.
What is the rent difference between Midrand and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $492 in Midrand versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Midrand and in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Midrand and in Ubud, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $1,097 per month in Midrand versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Midrand is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,500 enough for either Midrand or Ubud, Bali?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Midrand gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Midrand or in Ubud, Bali?
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.

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