Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rarotonga and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Rarotonga: $1,117 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Rarotonga

🇨🇰 Cook Islands

$1,117

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Rarotonga versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Rarotonga $1,117
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,581 in Rarotonga versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Rarotonga $1,581
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,045 in Rarotonga versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Rarotonga $2,045
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Rarotonga costs roughly 17% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.31 NZ$25.18

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

331.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.0 NZ$89.8

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

43.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 NZ$10.03

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

3.07%

Cappuccino

$3.33 NZ$5.86

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

22.43%

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

$2.21 NZ$3.88

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 NZ$3.96

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

196.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 NZ$8.88

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

90.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.91

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

15.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 NZ$4.92

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

87.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 NZ$5.12

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

27.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

Eggs

$6.22 NZ$10.94

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

204.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.20 NZ$12.67

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-59.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,255

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 NZ$20.22

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

417.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.19 NZ$19.70

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-49.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NZ$5.89

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

47.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 NZ$8.90

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

70.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 NZ$5.09

$0.25 Rp 4,525

1056.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 NZ$35.49

$0.44 Rp 7,923

4481.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,753

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.69 NZ$59.3

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

522.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 NZ$2.96

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

104.88%

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

$11.4K NZ$20.0K

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

-52.29%

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

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

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

$101 NZ$178

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

27.93%

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

$48.92 NZ$86.1

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

658.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$103 NZ$181

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

453.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

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

$491 Rp 8.8M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$446 NZ$785

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

-60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 NZ$801

$671 Rp 12.1M

-32.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 NZ$1,202

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-80.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 NZ$1,114

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

-63.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,985 NZ$7,013

$164 Rp 3.0M

2332.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Rarotonga: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Groceries & Markets

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Eating Out

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Getting Around

Rarotonga

–

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $446 in Rarotonga and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rarotonga pays about 24 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51 in Rarotonga vs $36 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $153 vs $288, with Rarotonga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇰 Rarotonga

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

10:36 10:36 AM

18 h ahead of Rarotonga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,373

74,800

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.568 USD

1 NZD = 0.51 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.76 NZD (1 NZD = 0.568 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 NZD (1 NZD = 0.51 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,095 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rarotonga Ubud, Bali 9,150 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Rarotonga
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

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

Rarotonga wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rarotonga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Rarotonga is about 24 times higher, 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: $446 in Rarotonga versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,117 per month in Rarotonga versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Rarotonga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Rarotonga 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.