Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,341 in Rustenburg versus $2,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,882 in Rustenburg versus $3,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Rustenburg costs roughly 42% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rustenburg is 42% below, Ubud, Bali is 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.30 R 103

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

83.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.97 R 786

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

32.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 R 105

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

12.43%

Cappuccino

$2.12 R 34.68

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

-20.60%

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

$0.90 R 14.71

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

-48.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 R 7.83

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

-44.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 R 25.97

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

-46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 R 36.15

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

-51.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.18

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.01 R 16.59

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

-56.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 R 29.52

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

62.16%

Eggs

$2.77 R 45.37

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

25.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.62 R 125

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

-56.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.92 R 80.6

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.32 R 104

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

-48.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 R 30.72

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

-49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.23

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.39

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

-21.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 R 18.70

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

-41.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.25

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

-28.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.20

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

-52.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.27

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

28.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.67

$0.55 Rp 9,773

74.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.22 R 52.7

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

44.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.09 R 99.7

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

-73.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 R 10.37

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

-73.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R 14.89

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

-69.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.42

$0.48 Rp 8,566

95.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.56

$0.43 Rp 7,679

120.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.05 R 247

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

166.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 R 23.95

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

82.50%

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

$29.5K R 482.5K

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

18.10%

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

$27.3K R 447.2K

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

-13.90%

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

$76.2 R 1,249

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

-6.41%

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

$13.75 R 225

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

111.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.01 R 606

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

97.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.91 R 359

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

-61.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.05 R 99.2

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

-67.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.96 R 81.3

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

9.25%

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

$112 R 1,831

$481 Rp 8.5M

-76.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,636 R 92.3K

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

-1.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.42 R 711

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

-4.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.21 R 773

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

31.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,808

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

37.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.9 R 916

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

-28.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 R 5,461

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

-70.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$250 R 4,090

$698 Rp 12.4M

-64.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.3K

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

-79.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,525

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

-70.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,117 R 18.3K

$168 Rp 3.0M

564.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

13.78

-28.16%

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

Last update for Rustenburg: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $333 in Rustenburg and $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 565% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Rustenburg vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $179 vs $295, with Rustenburg 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

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

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 565% higher in Rustenburg, 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: $333 in Rustenburg versus $1,115 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $112 in Rustenburg versus $481 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rustenburg – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rustenburg 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, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.