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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,015 in Soweto versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,552 in Soweto versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,089 in Soweto versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Soweto costs roughly 27% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Soweto is 24% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 R 138

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

132.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.15 R 569

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

5.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 R 77.9

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

-6.79%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R 34.75

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

-25.89%

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

$0.99 R 16.43

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.76

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 38.37

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R 48.03

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

-26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.24

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

-34.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 17.12

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

-57.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.08

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

41.74%

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.79

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

4.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 R 129

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

-45.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 R 77.7

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

11.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 R 108

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

-46.02%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.86

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

-55.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.18

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.48

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

-45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.71

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.57

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

-31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.54

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-48.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.63

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.77

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 47.32

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

-10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 R 85.9

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

-78.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.36

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

-53.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.82

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

-41.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.95

$0.27 Rp 4,821

522.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.97

$0.45 Rp 8,180

153.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.50

$0.46 Rp 8,311

102.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 50.4

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

-50.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 20.22

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

40.70%

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

$19.5K R 324.7K

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

-26.69%

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

$23.7K R 394.8K

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

-27.18%

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

$119 R 1,988

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

51.03%

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

$36.92 R 615

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

802.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 R 625

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

57.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.52 R 525

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-68.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 R 124

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

85.29%

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

$196 R 3,263

$297 Rp 5.4M

-34.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,332 R 72.2K

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

-34.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 855

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

-3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.16 R 536

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

-15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 R 1,439

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R 1,325

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

3.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 6,006

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-64.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 R 5,526

$680 Rp 12.3M

-51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 R 11.2K

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 R 11.6K

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

-66.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 R 15.8K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-65.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

-68.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.28

-13.33%

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

Last update for Soweto: July 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Soweto and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Soweto vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $298, with Soweto 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

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

Soweto wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Soweto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Soweto and $2,088 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $361 in Soweto versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $196 in Soweto versus $297 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 Soweto – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Soweto versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Soweto but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Soweto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Soweto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,015 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Soweto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Soweto 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 Soweto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.