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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $989 per month in Nelspruit vs $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,603 per month in Nelspruit vs $2,585 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,217 per month in Nelspruit vs $3,732 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Nelspruit is about 31% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Nelspruit sits 26% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 7% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.05 R 183

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

209.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.26 R 749

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

38.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.54 R 58.6

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

-30.18%

Cappuccino

$1.92 R 31.80

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

-32.16%

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

$1.03 R 17.04

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

-23.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.88

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.49 R 24.67

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

-50.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 R 42.18

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

-33.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.56

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

-32.18%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 R 15.69

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

-62.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 R 16.64

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

-15.13%

Eggs

$1.96 R 32.47

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

-19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R 136

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

-43.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.94 R 65.3

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

-5.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.80 R 113

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

-43.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.96

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

-57.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.86

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.67 R 11.03

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

-75.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 27.17

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

-29.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 R 9.56

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

-69.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 R 20.13

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

-44.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 18.02

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

2.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.58

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.56 R 42.37

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

-18.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.73 R 61.8

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

-84.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.29

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

-66.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 R 23.82

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

-50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.94

$0.29 Rp 5,010

462.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 19.09

$0.45 Rp 7,834

155.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.59

$0.42 Rp 7,278

109.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 R 36.79

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

-63.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 R 21.11

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

52.38%

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

$22.6K R 373.7K

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

-13.96%

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

$23.9K R 396.1K

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

-26.31%

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

$119 R 1,969

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

51.70%

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

$41.10 R 680

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

940.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.65 R 557

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

37.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.08 R 514

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-67.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.03 R 66.7

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

-0.25%

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

$170 R 2,816

$303 Rp 5.2M

-43.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,868 R 80.6K

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

-25.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.96 R 827

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

-7.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 R 550

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

-12.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 R 1,494

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

4.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 R 1,324

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$359 R 5,945

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-64.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R 5,617

$674 Rp 11.6M

-49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 R 11.2K

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

-80.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$686 R 11.3K

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

-67.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.28

-13.33%

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

Last update for Nelspruit: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $359 in Nelspruit versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Nelspruit versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $158 in Nelspruit vs $298 in Ubud, Bali – so Nelspruit wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Nelspruit, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,484 per month in Nelspruit and $2,158 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nelspruit, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $989 in Nelspruit and $1,438 in Ubud, Bali. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $170 per month in Nelspruit and $303 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nelspruit, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,438. In Nelspruit it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nelspruit costs $989 versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nelspruit. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.