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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $468 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $722 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $975 in Butare.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 200% more expensive than Butare, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Butare is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$1.78 RWF 2,602

100.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$20.88 RWF 30.5K

55.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$5.62 RWF 8,209

-13.52%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.78 RWF 2,595

54.49%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.58 RWF 852

127.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.37 RWF 536

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$0.67 RWF 981

334.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$1.06 RWF 1,547

257.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.36 RWF 531

375.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.98 RWF 1,436

152.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.90 RWF 1,312

33.33%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.46 RWF 2,132

67.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$2.21 RWF 3,219

550.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.99 RWF 4,363

44.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$2.73 RWF 3,986

347.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.25 RWF 3,287

63.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.94 RWF 1,372

64.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.18 RWF 1,726

136.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.77 RWF 1,129

202.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.31 RWF 459

535.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.47 RWF 680

391.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.35 RWF 505

202.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.57 RWF 839

28.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$1.19 RWF 1,733

175.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$10.10 RWF 14.7K

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.85 RWF 1,247

230.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.41 RWF 2,065

97.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.27 RWF 388

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$9.46 RWF 13.8K

-14.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.10 RWF 3,062

-78.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.93 RWF 1,354

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$3.79 RWF 5,531

64.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.78 RWF 1,136

8.97%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$16.8K RWF 24.5M

54.65%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$8,613 RWF 12.6M

267.54%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$36.12 RWF 52.7K

123.56%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$9.01 RWF 13.1K

-54.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$17.95 RWF 26.2K

36.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$25.78 RWF 37.6K

278.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$5.64 RWF 8,226

14.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$3.53 RWF 5,159

14.45%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$94.3 RWF 137.6K

222.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$1,326 RWF 1.9M

399.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$14.16 RWF 20.7K

282.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

96.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$24.46 RWF 35.7K

252.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$30.97 RWF 45.2K

147.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$210 RWF 306.9K

368.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$139 RWF 203.1K

372.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$318 RWF 463.9K

960.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$238 RWF 347.2K

768.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Butare: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $210 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $116 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 200% 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 $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $702 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $210 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $468 in Butare – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $468 in Butare versus $1,404 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 $468 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 200% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.