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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,039 in Boksburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,655 in Boksburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,270 in Boksburg.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 38% more expensive than Boksburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Boksburg is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$11.11 R 186

-67.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$41.41 R 694

-21.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.72 R 79.1

7.42%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.10 R 35.25

34.76%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.99 R 16.57

35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.81 R 13.66

-14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.28 R 38.28

31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.88 R 48.36

33.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.20 R 20.18

45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.02 R 17.13

149.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.64 R 27.51

-27.44%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.52 R 42.30

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$7.59 R 127

93.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$4.45 R 74.6

-6.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$6.55 R 110

82.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.62 R 27.19

127.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.52 R 25.47

5.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.66 R 27.82

62.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.69 R 28.39

37.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.45 R 24.39

31.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.43 R 23.98

53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.08 R 18.13

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.11 R 18.67

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.01 R 50.5

3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$5.17 R 86.6

354.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.35 R 22.56

102.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.80 R 30.17

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.62 R 27.25

-82.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.10 R 18.37

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.96 R 16.07

-56.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$3.17 R 53.1

94.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.26 R 21.12

-33.33%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$19.6K R 328.5K

33.99%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$24.2K R 405.4K

34.36%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$125 R 2,094

-37.20%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$41.13 R 690

-90.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$43.41 R 728

-43.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$27.89 R 468

246.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$6.85 R 115

-7.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$7.54 R 126

-46.42%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$200 R 3,361

51.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,875 R 81.7K

33.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$50.9 R 853

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$31.61 R 530

20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$90.1 R 1,510

-3.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$81.1 R 1,359

-2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$294 R 4,938

243.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$333 R 5,592

102.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$608 R 10.2K

457.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$722 R 12.1K

190.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$297 R 4,981

904.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$243 R 4,081

861.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$981 R 16.4K

-82.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.51

15.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Boksburg: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $294 in Boksburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boksburg pays 466% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $41.00 in Boksburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $181, with Boksburg 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

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

Ubud, Bali and Boksburg differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $1,039 including rent). Boksburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Boksburg earns 466% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $294 in Boksburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,039 in Boksburg – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,039 in Boksburg versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boksburg but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Boksburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Ubud, Bali and Boksburg 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 Boksburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.