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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $476 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $734 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $993 in Butare.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Butare is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$1.78 RWF 2,604

100.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$21.03 RWF 30.8K

54.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$5.48 RWF 8,030

-7.48%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.71 RWF 2,508

65.50%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.53 RWF 779

152.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.36 RWF 533

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$0.66 RWF 971

353.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$1.01 RWF 1,485

281.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.40 RWF 579

335.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.90 RWF 1,323

182.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.96 RWF 1,404

23.96%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.47 RWF 2,153

65.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$2.28 RWF 3,331

542.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.01 RWF 4,405

38.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$2.78 RWF 4,065

329.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.22 RWF 3,246

66.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.88 RWF 1,285

82.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.17 RWF 1,718

129.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.78 RWF 1,149

198.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.34 RWF 500

461.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.43 RWF 627

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.35 RWF 510

202.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.58 RWF 846

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$1.25 RWF 1,836

150.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$10.35 RWF 15.2K

126.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.90 RWF 1,315

204.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.37 RWF 2,006

110.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.29 RWF 429

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$9.97 RWF 14.6K

-18.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.12 RWF 3,101

-78.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.91 RWF 1,326

-53.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$3.92 RWF 5,737

57.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.71 RWF 1,044

18.31%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$16.6K RWF 24.4M

57.64%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$8,748 RWF 12.8M

271.26%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$37.09 RWF 54.3K

111.43%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$8.97 RWF 13.1K

-55.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$17.85 RWF 26.1K

36.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$25.27 RWF 37.0K

282.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$5.57 RWF 8,155

14.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.44 RWF 5,036

17.44%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$93.2 RWF 136.4K

224.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$1,321 RWF 1.9M

393.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$13.64 RWF 20.0K

294.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$19.17 RWF 28.1K

98.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$24.28 RWF 35.5K

257.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$30.80 RWF 45.1K

156.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$207 RWF 302.9K

389.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$138 RWF 202.3K

388.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$313 RWF 457.9K

983.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$239 RWF 350.3K

776.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Butare: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $207 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 $298 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 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 $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $714 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: $1,012 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $476 in Butare – a 202% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $476 in Butare versus $1,438 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 $476 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.