Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,519 in Mount Isa, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mount Isa, Australia
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Mount Isa
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,519
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,519 in Mount Isa versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mount Isa $2,519
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,619 in Mount Isa versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mount Isa $3,619
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,719 in Mount Isa versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mount Isa $4,719
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Mount Isa is roughly 89% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mount Isa is 86% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.36 A$25.05
$3.38 Rp 60.9K
413.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.2 A$121
$34.65 Rp 625.4K
142.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.65 A$15.36
$5.57 Rp 100.6K
91.20%
Cappuccino
$3.91 A$5.65
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
49.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.80 A$4.04
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
81.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.25 A$3.25
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
251.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.83 A$11.29
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
193.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.71 A$11.12
$4.26 Rp 76.9K
80.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.52 A$2.19
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
4.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 A$3.82
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
15.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 A$3.19
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
99.10%
Eggs
$4.82 A$6.95
$2.10 Rp 37.9K
129.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.18 A$13.24
$15.94 Rp 287.7K
-42.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.09 A$13.12
$3.88 Rp 70.1K
134.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.97 A$21.60
$11.40 Rp 205.8K
31.32%
Apples (1kg)
$3.85 A$5.56
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
8.45%
Banana (1kg)
$3.09 A$4.46
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
100.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.24 A$4.67
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
45.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.70 A$6.77
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
138.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.72 A$3.92
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
46.24%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 A$3.43
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
-1.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.40 A$3.47
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
135.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.55 A$2.23
$0.52 Rp 9,427
198.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$42.83 A$61.8
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
1846.82%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 A$20.55
$21.79 Rp 393.2K
-34.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.76 A$6.86
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
104.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.29 A$7.64
$2.97 Rp 53.6K
78.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.70 A$3.90
$0.25 Rp 4,519
980.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.1 A$121
$8.17 Rp 147.5K
929.01%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.59 A$5.18
$0.44 Rp 7,901
715.91%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 A$2.38
$0.47 Rp 8,446
251.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.77 A$58.8
$5.60 Rp 101.1K
628.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 A$1.91
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
59.04%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.7K A$42.9K
$24.4K Rp 441.3M
21.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.9K A$37.4K
$31.7K Rp 572.1M
-18.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$205 A$296
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
164.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.82 A$40.14
$6.14 Rp 110.9K
353.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$57.0 A$82.3
$18.92 Rp 341.4K
201.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.6 A$80.1
$51.0 Rp 920.4K
8.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.03 A$26.01
$18.25 Rp 329.4K
-1.21%
Cinema Ticket
$13.96 A$20.14
$4.38 Rp 79.1K
218.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,165 A$3,123
$492 Rp 8.9M
339.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.2K A$29.1K
$12.2K Rp 220.6M
65.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.7 A$112
$45.16 Rp 815.1K
72.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.8 A$79.1
$34.89 Rp 629.7K
57.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 A$158
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
39.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 A$178
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
58.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 A$2,043
$1,078 Rp 19.4M
31.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,217 A$1,755
$665 Rp 12.0M
82.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,259 A$3,258
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
-35.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,798 A$2,594
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
7.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,881 A$8,483
$2,340 Rp 42.2M
151.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,029 A$7,255
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
124.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mount Isa
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,453 A$6,424
$166 Rp 3.0M
2577.20%
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 Mount Isa: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mount Isa
$1.2K
Ubud, Bali
$665 45.3% $552
Groceries & Markets
Mount Isa
$366
Ubud, Bali
$279 23.6% $86
Eating Out
Mount Isa
$293
Ubud, Bali
$106 63.9% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mount Isa
$290
Ubud, Bali
$103 64.6% $187
Clothing & Footwear
Mount Isa
$164
Ubud, Bali
$106 35.3% $58
Getting Around
Mount Isa
$107
Ubud, Bali
$12 88.8% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Mount Isa
$83
Ubud, Bali
$60 28.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,416 in Mount Isa and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays about 27 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Mount Isa vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Mount Isa
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
17:02 5:02 PM
15:02 3:02 PM
2 h behind Mount Isa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,936
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,262 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Mount Isa Ubud, Bali 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Mount Isa
  • 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
Mount Isa vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mount Isa or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Mount Isa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mount Isa or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay in Mount Isa is about 27 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mount Isa compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,416 in Mount Isa versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Mount Isa and in Ubud, Bali?
Childcare runs $2,165 in Mount Isa versus $492 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Mount Isa or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Mount Isa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Mount Isa or in Ubud, Bali?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mount Isa or 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.
How safe is Mount Isa compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Mount Isa and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mount Isa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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