Cost of Living Comparison Between Richards Bay and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Richards Bay and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,026 in Richards Bay versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,574 in Richards Bay versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,121 in Richards Bay versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Richards Bay costs roughly 28% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Richards Bay is 23% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.51 R 122

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

110.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.03 R 455

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

-14.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.98 R 81.0

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

0.61%

Cappuccino

$1.99 R 32.34

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

-26.57%

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

$0.95 R 15.45

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

-29.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 R 11.53

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

1.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 R 22.09

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 R 27.57

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

-57.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 R 15.82

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

-46.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 R 14.77

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

-63.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.88

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

26.72%

Eggs

$2.09 R 34.00

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

-15.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.33 R 119

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

-50.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 R 73.8

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

5.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.51 R 89.5

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

-54.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.31

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

-59.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.32

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

-12.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 R 21.67

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

-53.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.36

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

-43.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.56

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.50

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-50.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 R 15.92

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

-2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.31

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

20.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 R 39.65

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

-26.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.85 R 78.8

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

-79.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 R 23.69

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

-47.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.37

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

-41.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.63 R 26.44

$0.27 Rp 4,800

503.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.2 R 1,531

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

1072.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 R 26.59

$0.46 Rp 8,150

256.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 R 9.48

$0.45 Rp 8,037

28.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 R 111

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

11.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.61

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

60.76%

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

$20.0K R 325.1K

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

-23.49%

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

$24.6K R 400.3K

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

-23.30%

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

$128 R 2,082

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

60.25%

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

$29.74 R 483

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

632.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.93 R 551

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

44.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.56 R 529

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-67.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.40 R 71.5

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

-33.63%

Cinema Ticket

$6.66 R 108

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

60.48%

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

$89.4 R 1,452

$304 Rp 5.4M

-70.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,432 R 39.5K

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

-63.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.63 R 677

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

-25.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.12 R 311

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

-50.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 R 1,384

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

-3.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 R 1,205

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

-4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 R 6,497

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

-60.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$293 R 4,755

$675 Rp 12.1M

-56.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 R 13.5K

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

-75.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$610 R 9,916

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

-70.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$359 R 5,827

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

-87.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$521 R 8,471

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

-76.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,244 R 20.2K

$165 Rp 3.0M

652.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.01

13.28

-9.56%

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

Last update for Richards Bay: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Richards Bay and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 653% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Richards Bay vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $302 per month, with Richards Bay 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

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

Richards Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Richards Bay pays 653% 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: $400 in Richards Bay versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Richards Bay – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Richards Bay versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Richards Bay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Richards Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Richards Bay is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.