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: $1,631 in Palmerston North versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,689 in Palmerston North versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,747 in Palmerston North versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Palmerston North is roughly 17% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 19% above, Ubud, Bali 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.30 NZ$24.30

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

324.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 NZ$118

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

79.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.49 NZ$16.13

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

71.92%

Cappuccino

$3.42 NZ$5.82

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

29.55%

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

$2.45 NZ$4.17

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

46.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.12

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

138.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 NZ$11.36

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

154.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 NZ$12.12

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

66.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

26.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 NZ$3.92

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

4.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.38

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

23.89%

Eggs

$5.38 NZ$9.14

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

157.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.06 NZ$12.00

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

-59.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.10 NZ$17.16

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

160.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.22 NZ$19.06

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

-10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 NZ$4.50

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

-26.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NZ$3.85

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

44.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$3.91

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

-2.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 NZ$10.08

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

187.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 NZ$2.58

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 NZ$1.55

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

-61.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 NZ$2.96

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

68.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.27

$0.55 Rp 9,809

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.85 NZ$40.51

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

960.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.53 NZ$14.48

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

-64.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.94

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

25.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 NZ$4.94

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

3.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.22 NZ$7.17

$0.27 Rp 4,816

1462.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 NZ$145

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

887.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 NZ$3.33

$0.48 Rp 8,515

308.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 NZ$3.17

$0.45 Rp 7,887

313.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.77 NZ$30.19

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

210.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 NZ$2.94

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

127.63%

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

$22.9K NZ$39.0K

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

-6.29%

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

$25.5K NZ$43.3K

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

-20.56%

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

$73.0 NZ$124

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-12.60%

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

$33.34 NZ$56.6

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

416.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.98 NZ$62.8

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

94.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.56 NZ$40.02

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

-57.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.88 NZ$25.27

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

-20.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.33 NZ$20.94

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

188.08%

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

$1,105 NZ$1,876

$487 Rp 8.6M

127.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,727 NZ$14.8K

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

49.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.9 NZ$126

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

62.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.14 NZ$49.50

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

-19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 NZ$147

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

5.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.5 NZ$150

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

10.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 NZ$1,623

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

-14.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 NZ$1,129

$701 Rp 12.4M

-5.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 NZ$2,811

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

-53.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 NZ$2,317

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

-22.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 NZ$3,731

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

-22.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,927 NZ$3,273

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

-15.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,646 NZ$4,494

$170 Rp 3.0M

1458.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

13.78

-60.89%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Palmerston North and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 1458% 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: $69.0 in Palmerston North vs $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $301 vs $293 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,631 vs $1,396 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1458% higher in Palmerston North, 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: $955 in Palmerston North versus $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,105 in Palmerston North versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Palmerston North. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,631 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 17% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.