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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $461 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $721 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $981 in Butare.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 202% more expensive than in Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$1.70 RWF 2,491

110.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$21.17 RWF 31.0K

52.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$5.56 RWF 8,136

-9.89%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$1.72 RWF 2,511

63.95%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.58 RWF 844

132.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.36 RWF 529

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$0.67 RWF 982

337.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$1.06 RWF 1,554

271.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$0.40 RWF 582

345.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$0.96 RWF 1,407

155.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$0.95 RWF 1,394

21.05%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$1.43 RWF 2,090

68.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$2.26 RWF 3,310

534.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$3.11 RWF 4,555

34.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$2.70 RWF 3,951

346.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$2.33 RWF 3,415

56.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.88 RWF 1,292

78.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$1.12 RWF 1,645

149.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.72 RWF 1,057

211.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$0.34 RWF 501

482.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$0.43 RWF 636

430.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$0.38 RWF 552

176.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.57 RWF 840

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$1.25 RWF 1,834

155.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$10.40 RWF 15.2K

125.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$0.91 RWF 1,332

218.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$1.36 RWF 1,993

102.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.29 RWF 429

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

$9.94 RWF 14.5K

-15.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$2.11 RWF 3,081

-78.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.92 RWF 1,350

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$3.73 RWF 5,463

62.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.74 RWF 1,076

16.22%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$16.8K RWF 24.6M

57.85%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$8,546 RWF 12.5M

280.87%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$36.66 RWF 53.6K

115.55%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$9.03 RWF 13.2K

-54.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$18.19 RWF 26.6K

31.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$25.43 RWF 37.2K

288.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

$5.41 RWF 7,920

17.38%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$3.45 RWF 5,047

16.23%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$93.6 RWF 137.0K

217.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$1,373 RWF 2.0M

380.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$13.69 RWF 20.0K

290.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$19.70 RWF 28.8K

93.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$24.46 RWF 35.8K

262.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$30.75 RWF 45.0K

149.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$207 RWF 303.4K

391.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$140 RWF 204.4K

387.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$316 RWF 462.3K

998.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$239 RWF 349.8K

774.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.2

-18.02%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Butare: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $207 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $117 per month, with Butare cheaper across the board.

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 Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 202% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $691 in Butare 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $207 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $461 in Butare – a 202% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $461 in Butare versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $461 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 202% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.