Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $3,182 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
$3,182
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,182 per month in Sydney vs $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sydney $3,182
  • Ubud, Bali $1,348

A couple spends around $4,696 per month in Sydney vs $2,312 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sydney $4,696
  • Ubud, Bali $2,312

A family of three spends $6,210 per month in Sydney vs $3,276 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sydney $6,210
  • Ubud, Bali $3,276

Sydney costs about 136% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Sydney and Ubud, Bali sit above the global median – Sydney by 137%, Ubud, Bali by 1%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.66 A$25.37
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
430.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$97.1 A$139
$35.42 Rp 633.7K
174.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.94 A$17.15
$5.76 Rp 103.0K
107.29%
Cappuccino
$4.00 A$5.75
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
52.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 A$4.07
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
63.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 A$3.26
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
194.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.89 A$11.33
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
191.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.13 A$10.24
$4.52 Rp 80.9K
57.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 A$2.39
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
8.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.79 A$4.01
$2.20 Rp 39.3K
26.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.32 A$3.34
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
90.16%
Eggs
$5.53 A$7.94
$2.14 Rp 38.3K
158.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.08 A$17.35
$17.73 Rp 317.2K
-31.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.84 A$14.14
$3.86 Rp 69.0K
154.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.61 A$23.87
$12.03 Rp 215.2K
38.07%
Apples (1kg)
$4.02 A$5.78
$3.61 Rp 64.6K
11.36%
Banana (1kg)
$3.15 A$4.53
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
108.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.50 A$5.03
$2.32 Rp 41.5K
50.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.47 A$6.42
$2.00 Rp 35.9K
123.50%
Potato (1kg)
$3.32 A$4.77
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
83.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.30 A$3.31
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
-3.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.34 A$3.37
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
136.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 A$1.66
$0.52 Rp 9,381
121.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$45.02 A$64.7
$2.18 Rp 39.1K
1965.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.96 A$20.05
$22.98 Rp 411.0K
-39.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.98 A$5.72
$2.40 Rp 42.9K
65.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.07 A$5.84
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
35.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.16 A$4.54
$0.24 Rp 4,258
1216.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$150 A$215
$6.99 Rp 125.1K
2045.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.45 A$4.96
$0.44 Rp 7,882
684.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 A$2.34
$0.42 Rp 7,589
288.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.98 A$57.4
$5.45 Rp 97.5K
633.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.40 A$2.01
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
66.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.4K A$40.8K
$24.3K Rp 435.2M
16.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.4K A$42.2K
$31.9K Rp 570.5M
-7.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 A$316
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
172.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.70 A$39.79
$6.58 Rp 117.7K
320.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.5 A$79.8
$18.24 Rp 326.4K
204.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$74.3 A$107
$55.1 Rp 986.2K
34.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$23.95 A$34.41
$18.51 Rp 331.2K
29.39%
Cinema Ticket
$17.73 A$25.46
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
318.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,157 A$3,098
$486 Rp 8.7M
344.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.3K A$40.6K
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
398.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.4 A$113
$45.18 Rp 808.3K
73.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.5 A$101
$34.57 Rp 618.5K
104.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 A$160
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
40.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$132 A$189
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
69.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,514 A$3,612
$1,127 Rp 20.2M
123.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,732 A$2,487
$674 Rp 12.1M
156.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,889 A$7,022
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
35.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,039 A$4,365
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
75.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.2K A$19.0K
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
367.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$8,117 A$11.7K
$2,307 Rp 41.3M
251.88%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sydney
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,082 A$5,864
$166 Rp 3.0M
2363.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.84
13.78
-57.62%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Sydney
$1.7K
Ubud, Bali
$674 61.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Sydney
$380
Ubud, Bali
$290 23.7% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sydney
$303
Ubud, Bali
$106 65.1% $197
Eating Out
Sydney
$299
Ubud, Bali
$108 63.9% $191
Clothing & Footwear
Sydney
$176
Ubud, Bali
$106 39.7% $70
Getting Around
Sydney
$174
Ubud, Bali
$11 94% $164
Sport & Entertainment
Sydney
$110
Ubud, Bali
$64 42% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,514 in Sydney versus $1,127 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 run about 2364% higher in Sydney, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Sydney versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $290 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Sydney
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
16:37 4:37 PM
13:37 1:37 PM
3 h behind Sydney
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,840,600
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sydney Ubud, Bali 4,630 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sydney
  • 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
Sydney vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Sydney and in Ubud, Bali compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,182 in Sydney, $1,348 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 136% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Sydney compared to Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,774 per month in Sydney and $2,022 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Sydney and Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $97.0 in Sydney and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Sydney or Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,182 in Sydney and $1,348 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 136%.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,348, than in Sydney at $3,182. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Sydney and Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,348 in Ubud, Bali to $3,182 in Sydney. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Sydney or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Sydney and Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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