Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rotorua and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,455 in Rotorua, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Rotorua despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Rotorua
Learn more

Rotorua Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Rotorua

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,455

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,455 per month in Rotorua vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Rotorua $1,455
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $2,347 per month in Rotorua vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Rotorua $2,347
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $3,238 per month in Rotorua vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Rotorua $3,238
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Rotorua costs about 8% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.23 NZ$19.76

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

238.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 NZ$119

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

90.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.19 NZ$16.17

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

66.18%

Cappuccino

$3.17 NZ$5.58

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

16.54%

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

$1.97 NZ$3.47

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

15.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

128.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 NZ$10.96

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

135.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 NZ$11.95

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

55.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 NZ$3.03

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

15.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 NZ$2.25

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

-43.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 NZ$2.24

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

6.72%

Eggs

$6.19 NZ$10.90

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

203.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 NZ$13.31

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-57.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 NZ$7.98

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 NZ$30.18

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

40.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$5.10

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

-20.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 NZ$3.54

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.04 NZ$10.63

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

206.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 NZ$2.46

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

-24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.81 NZ$1.42

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

-66.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 NZ$1.02

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NZ$1.94

$0.51 Rp 9,255

115.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.09 NZ$42.41

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

985.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.28 NZ$14.58

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-62.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 NZ$5.10

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

28.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 NZ$5.77

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

10.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.34 NZ$2.37

$0.25 Rp 4,525

436.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 NZ$106

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

672.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 NZ$4.08

$0.44 Rp 7,923

427.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 NZ$3.53

$0.43 Rp 7,753

365.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.95 NZ$56.2

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

490.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.89

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

100.00%

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

$22.4K NZ$39.4K

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

-6.12%

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

$21.0K NZ$36.9K

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

-33.89%

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

$64.5 NZ$114

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-18.43%

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

$27.10 NZ$47.70

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

320.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.26 NZ$79.7

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

143.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 NZ$68.8

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

-21.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$8.86 NZ$15.59

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

107.49%

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

$684 NZ$1,204

$491 Rp 8.8M

39.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.3K NZ$34.0K

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

240.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 NZ$132

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

68.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.06 NZ$30.03

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

-51.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.1 NZ$164

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 NZ$196

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

40.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$696 NZ$1,225

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

-38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 NZ$972

$671 Rp 12.1M

-17.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 NZ$2,217

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-64.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 NZ$1,895

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

-37.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,144 NZ$7,293

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

51.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,335 NZ$5,869

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

46.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,750 NZ$6,601

$164 Rp 3.0M

2189.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.37

13.78

-61.03%

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

Last update for Rotorua: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rotorua

$552 37.9%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 21.6% $120

Groceries & Markets

Rotorua

$283 19.4%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 2.1% $6

Eating Out

Rotorua

$215 14.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 49.9% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rotorua

$137 9.4%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 23.9% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Rotorua

$134 9.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 19.6% $26

Getting Around

Rotorua

$78 5.4%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 85.4% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Rotorua

$57 3.9%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 2.2% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $696 in Rotorua versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rotorua are about 23 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rotorua versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Rotorua vs $288 in Ubud, Bali – so Rotorua wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Rotorua

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

03:03 3:03 AM

5 h behind Rotorua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,400

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 = 20,066 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rotorua Ubud, Bali 6,900 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rotorua
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

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

Rotorua costs about 8% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,182 per month in Rotorua and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rotorua, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $696 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68 in Rotorua and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 87% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,455 in Rotorua and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $1,455 in Rotorua. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rotorua makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.