Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,606 in Townsville, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
Learn more

Townsville Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index

Jump to prices

Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,606

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,606 in Townsville versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

Townsville $2,606
Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,842 in Townsville versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

Townsville $3,842
Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,078 in Townsville versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

Townsville $5,078
Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Townsville is roughly 96% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Townsville is 93% above, Ubud, Bali is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.82 A$32.92

$3.38 Rp 60.9K

575.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 A$102

$34.65 Rp 625.4K

103.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.16 A$17.54

$5.57 Rp 100.6K

118.31%

Cappuccino

$3.58 A$5.17

$2.62 Rp 47.3K

36.64%

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

$2.64 A$3.80

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 A$3.57

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

285.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.53 A$12.30

$2.67 Rp 48.1K

219.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 A$10.39

$4.26 Rp 76.9K

69.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 A$2.56

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

21.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.27

$2.29 Rp 41.4K

-0.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 A$1.96

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

22.52%

Eggs

$5.23 A$7.54

$2.10 Rp 37.9K

149.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 A$11.77

$15.94 Rp 287.7K

-48.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 A$14.26

$3.88 Rp 70.1K

154.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.37 A$19.29

$11.40 Rp 205.8K

17.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 A$5.96

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.89

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

75.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 A$5.16

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

60.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 A$6.19

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

117.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.81

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.12

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

17.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.32

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

125.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 A$4.70

$0.52 Rp 9,427

526.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.58 A$44.12

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

1290.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.71 A$15.45

$21.79 Rp 393.2K

-50.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$10.00

$2.33 Rp 42.0K

197.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.54 A$12.32

$2.97 Rp 53.6K

187.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.11 A$3.05

$0.25 Rp 4,519

744.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.2 A$79.7

$8.17 Rp 147.5K

575.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 A$3.79

$0.44 Rp 7,901

495.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 A$2.95

$0.47 Rp 8,446

334.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.02 A$63.5

$5.60 Rp 101.1K

686.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 A$1.78

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

49.40%

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

$28.1K A$40.6K

$24.4K Rp 441.3M

15.13%

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

$27.8K A$40.2K

$31.7K Rp 572.1M

-12.14%

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

$383 A$552

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

394.05%

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

$36.42 A$52.5

$6.14 Rp 110.9K

493.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 A$95.2

$18.92 Rp 341.4K

248.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.4 A$79.9

$51.0 Rp 920.4K

8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 A$28.46

$18.25 Rp 329.4K

8.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 A$21.98

$4.38 Rp 79.1K

247.72%

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

$2,084 A$3,006

$492 Rp 8.9M

323.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$17.7K

$12.2K Rp 220.6M

0.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 A$133

$45.16 Rp 815.1K

104.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.1 A$101

$34.89 Rp 629.7K

101.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 A$236

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

108.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$190

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

68.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 A$1,854

$1,078 Rp 19.4M

19.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 A$1,478

$665 Rp 12.0M

54.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,313 A$3,336

$3,510 Rp 63.4M

-34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 A$2,662

$1,671 Rp 30.2M

10.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,976 A$7,178

$2,340 Rp 42.2M

112.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,112 A$5,932

$2,236 Rp 40.4M

83.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,066 A$5,865

$166 Rp 3.0M

2344.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

13.78

-58.78%

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

Last update for Townsville: November 3, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Townsville

$1K 39.3%

Ubud, Bali

$665 50% 35.1% $360

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$485 18.6%

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7% 78.9% $383

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$389 14.9%

Ubud, Bali

$279 21% 28.1% $109

Eating Out

Townsville

$340 13%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 68.9% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$206 7.9%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 48.4% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.3%

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5% 30.4% $26

Getting Around

Townsville

$77 2.9%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 84.4% $65

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,286 in Townsville and $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Townsville pays about 24 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $70 in Townsville vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $279 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

13:46 1:46 PM

2 h behind Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

74,800

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.693 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,262 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Townsville Ubud, Bali 3,600 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
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

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

Ubud, Bali is about 49% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Townsville is about 24 times higher, 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: $1,286 in Townsville versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $70 in Townsville. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,606 per month in Townsville versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Townsville and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Townsville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.