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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,176 in Northam versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,228 in Northam versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,280 in Northam versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Northam is roughly 51% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northam 62% above, Ubud, Bali 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.24 A$22.73

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

354.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 A$108

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

136.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 A$14.82

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

108.68%

Cappuccino

$3.64 A$5.10

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

28.62%

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

$2.47 A$3.46

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

84.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 A$2.76

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

185.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.03 A$11.24

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

168.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.32 A$8.84

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

64.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 A$1.97

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

-18.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 A$3.23

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

-9.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.86

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

72.27%

Eggs

$4.16 A$5.82

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

71.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.70 A$7.98

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

-61.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.27 A$11.58

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

97.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.63 A$19.08

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

14.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 A$3.66

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

-29.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.00 A$4.19

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

86.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 A$3.95

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

4.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 A$6.53

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.50

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

30.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 A$2.47

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

-19.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 A$2.81

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

89.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 A$0.94

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

-6.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$31.71 A$44.39

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

913.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.52 A$4.92

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

-85.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 A$5.27

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.23 A$5.92

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

46.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 A$3.57

$0.29 Rp 5,029

779.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.8 A$90.7

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

692.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 A$5.49

$0.45 Rp 7,863

771.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 A$3.09

$0.42 Rp 7,305

426.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.89 A$68.4

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

693.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 A$1.56

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

33.33%

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

$28.7K A$40.1K

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

9.22%

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

$23.9K A$33.4K

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

-26.45%

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

$155 A$217

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

97.62%

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

$22.57 A$31.60

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

471.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 A$76.0

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

122.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.03 A$67.2

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-50.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.41 A$21.57

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

142.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 A$22.44

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

296.78%

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

$1,791 A$2,507

$303 Rp 5.2M

491.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K A$16.6K

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

81.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.0 A$96.6

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

28.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.37 A$67.7

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

27.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 A$143

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

17.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 A$147

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

33.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 A$1,735

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 A$1,502

$674 Rp 11.7M

59.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 A$2,836

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

-40.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 A$2,318

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

-21.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,509 A$9,113

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

118.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 A$6,871

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

109.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

13.28

-51.66%

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

Last update for Northam: April 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,239 in Northam and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $77.0 in Northam vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $298, with Northam cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,264 in Northam and $2,158 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,239 in Northam versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $77.0 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,176 per month in Northam versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,176 in Northam, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Northam. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,438 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Northam 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 51% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.