Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanaimo, BC and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nanaimo, BC, Canada
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Nanaimo, BC
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,383
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Nanaimo, BC $2,383
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,379 in Nanaimo, BC versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Nanaimo, BC $3,379
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,375 in Nanaimo, BC versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Nanaimo, BC $4,375
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Nanaimo, BC is roughly 79% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Nanaimo, BC is 76% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.55 CA$24.50
$3.38 Rp 61.0K
419.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.9 CA$109
$34.65 Rp 626.3K
124.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.35 CA$15.85
$5.57 Rp 100.7K
103.77%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.54
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
51.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.17
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
47.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.27
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
154.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.89 CA$8.22
$2.67 Rp 48.2K
120.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 CA$7.94
$4.26 Rp 77.1K
33.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 CA$2.33
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
14.38%
White Bread (500g)
$3.32 CA$4.63
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
44.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.16 CA$4.41
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
184.68%
Eggs
$4.24 CA$5.92
$2.10 Rp 38.0K
101.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.51 CA$16.07
$15.94 Rp 288.1K
-27.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 CA$19.34
$3.88 Rp 70.2K
257.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.38 CA$24.26
$11.40 Rp 206.1K
52.46%
Apples (1kg)
$4.30 CA$6.00
$3.55 Rp 64.2K
21.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 CA$1.81
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
-16.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.43 CA$6.19
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
98.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.78 CA$8.06
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
193.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.41 CA$3.36
$1.86 Rp 33.6K
29.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.85 CA$3.98
$2.42 Rp 43.7K
17.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.82 CA$3.94
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
176.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 CA$3.23
$0.52 Rp 9,441
344.23%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.51 CA$20.25
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
559.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 CA$19.60
$21.79 Rp 393.8K
-35.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.55 CA$3.56
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
9.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 CA$3.69
$2.97 Rp 53.7K
-11.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 CA$2.72
$0.25 Rp 4,526
680.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$46.89 CA$65.5
$8.17 Rp 147.8K
473.93%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.83 CA$3.95
$0.44 Rp 7,912
543.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.94 CA$2.71
$0.47 Rp 8,458
312.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.00 CA$50.3
$5.60 Rp 101.2K
542.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.34 CA$1.87
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
61.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.0K CA$36.3K
$24.4K Rp 441.9M
6.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.3K
$31.7K Rp 572.9M
-33.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 CA$208
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
92.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.43 CA$56.4
$6.14 Rp 111.1K
558.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.5 CA$92.8
$18.92 Rp 341.9K
251.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.98 CA$36.27
$51.0 Rp 921.7K
-49.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.63 CA$27.40
$18.25 Rp 329.8K
7.56%
Cinema Ticket
$10.98 CA$15.32
$4.38 Rp 79.2K
150.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$699 CA$976
$492 Rp 8.9M
41.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.1K CA$21.1K
$12.2K Rp 220.9M
23.39%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2 CA$70.0
$45.16 Rp 816.3K
11.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.30 CA$46.48
$34.89 Rp 630.6K
-4.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.5 CA$139
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
27.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$113 CA$158
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
45.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,445 CA$2,017
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
34.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,191 CA$1,663
$665 Rp 12.0M
79.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,060 CA$2,876
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
-41.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,639 CA$2,288
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
-1.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,800 CA$5,305
$2,340 Rp 42.3M
62.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,417 CA$4,769
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
52.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nanaimo, BC
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,169 CA$4,424
$166 Rp 3.0M
1805.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.72
13.78
-65.75%

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

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nanaimo, BC
$1.2K
Ubud, Bali
$665 44.2% $526
Groceries & Markets
Nanaimo, BC
$409
Ubud, Bali
$279 31.7% $130
Eating Out
Nanaimo, BC
$279
Ubud, Bali
$106 62% $173
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nanaimo, BC
$256
Ubud, Bali
$103 59.9% $153
Clothing & Footwear
Nanaimo, BC
$133
Ubud, Bali
$106 20.2% $27
Getting Around
Nanaimo, BC
$67
Ubud, Bali
$12 82.2% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Nanaimo, BC
$48
Ubud, Bali
$60 24.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanaimo, BC pays about 19 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Nanaimo, BC vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
08:52 8:52 AM
23:52 11:52 PM
15 h ahead of Nanaimo, BC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
90,504
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,075 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD). 1 EUR = 20,311 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nanaimo, BC Ubud, Bali 12,930 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nanaimo, BC
  • 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
Nanaimo, BC vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Nanaimo, BC or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Nanaimo, BC. 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 Nanaimo, BC or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay in Nanaimo, BC is about 19 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 Nanaimo, BC compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Nanaimo, BC compared to Ubud, Bali?
A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 83% less than in Nanaimo, BC. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Nanaimo, BC and in Ubud, Bali?
Childcare runs $699 in Nanaimo, BC versus $492 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Nanaimo, BC 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: Nanaimo, BC 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 Nanaimo, BC compared to Ubud, Bali?
Safety-wise, Nanaimo, BC 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 44% less than in Nanaimo, BC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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