Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,714 in Palmerston North versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,743 in Palmerston North versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,773 in Palmerston North versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 21% more expensive than Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 28% above, Ubud, Bali 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.49 NZ$27.84

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

363.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 NZ$120

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

117.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 NZ$20.62

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

146.67%

Cappuccino

$3.57 NZ$6.03

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

31.73%

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

$2.38 NZ$4.02

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

77.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 NZ$3.49

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

195.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.15 NZ$12.07

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

144.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 NZ$10.65

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

59.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.01 NZ$3.40

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

11.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.10 NZ$3.54

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$2.95

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

50.86%

Eggs

$5.23 NZ$8.82

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

112.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 NZ$13.95

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-43.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 NZ$15.58

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

113.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 NZ$21.27

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

3.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 NZ$4.23

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-34.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 NZ$3.04

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.46 NZ$4.15

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-13.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 NZ$5.63

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

43.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 NZ$3.64

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

13.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NZ$3.68

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-0.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 NZ$3.45

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

101.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 NZ$1.65

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

24.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.54 NZ$34.68

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

518.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.04 NZ$15.27

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 NZ$4.26

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.41 NZ$9.14

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

89.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.72 NZ$7.98

$0.27 Rp 4,800

1648.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.37 NZ$51.3

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

278.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 NZ$4.18

$0.46 Rp 8,150

436.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 NZ$3.11

$0.45 Rp 8,037

308.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.02 NZ$28.73

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

179.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.92

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

118.99%

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

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

-28.11%

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

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-32.26%

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

$89.8 NZ$152

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

12.33%

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

$37.60 NZ$63.5

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

826.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.40 NZ$81.7

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

105.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 NZ$58.7

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-64.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 NZ$22.22

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

98.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.00 NZ$15.20

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

116.87%

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

$1,004 NZ$1,694

$304 Rp 5.4M

230.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

-6.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 NZ$97.3

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.67 NZ$63.6

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

-1.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 NZ$154

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

2.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.4 NZ$158

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

19.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$839 NZ$1,416

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-16.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 NZ$1,162

$675 Rp 12.1M

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 NZ$2,614

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-55.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,390 NZ$2,347

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-31.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,200 NZ$3,714

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-22.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,969 NZ$3,324

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-13.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,671 NZ$4,509

$165 Rp 3.0M

1516.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

13.28

-49.62%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $839 in Palmerston North and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 1516% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Palmerston North vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $302, with Palmerston North 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

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

Palmerston North and Ubud, Bali differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,714 vs $1,419 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Palmerston North pays 1516% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $839 in Palmerston North versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,004 in Palmerston North versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,714 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Palmerston North 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 21% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.