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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,489 in Cardiff.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,431 in Cardiff.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,374 in Cardiff.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 44% less than in Cardiff, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% above, Cardiff 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.9K

$20.47 £15.18

-83.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 685.5K

$87.4 £64.8

-55.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 98.1K

$11.05 £8.20

-50.05%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 47.0K

$4.72 £3.50

-44.07%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.7K

$3.19 £2.37

-47.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

$2.06 £1.52

-62.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.8K

$7.88 £5.84

-66.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$5.96 £4.42

-28.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

$1.79 £1.33

-13.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$1.52 £1.13

46.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

$2.20 £1.63

-48.64%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 37.1K

$3.76 £2.79

-44.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 309.0K

$9.78 £7.25

77.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.7K

$8.62 £6.40

-55.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 222.9K

$14.34 £10.63

-12.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 64.2K

$2.85 £2.11

27.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

$1.59 £1.18

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.8K

$3.07 £2.28

-23.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.5K

$3.23 £2.40

-36.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

$1.94 £1.44

-2.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

$1.52 £1.13

53.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.12 £0.83

-8.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,854

$1.44 £1.07

-61.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.0K

$22.77 £16.89

-90.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 422.9K

$11.40 £8.46

108.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 41.1K

$3.11 £2.30

-25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.8K

$3.22 £2.39

-13.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,839

$3.25 £2.41

-91.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.9K

$81.3 £60.3

-89.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,554

$4.71 £3.49

-89.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,924

$1.70 £1.26

-73.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.6K

$36.79 £27.29

-84.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$2.11 £1.56

-63.98%

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

$24.5K Rp 434.9M

$39.1K £29.0K

-37.31%

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

$32.1K Rp 570.6M

$40.8K £30.2K

-21.21%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$314 £233

-73.42%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.7K

$26.23 £19.46

-75.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 337.4K

$46.23 £34.29

-58.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 994.4K

$33.85 £25.11

65.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 330.7K

$12.04 £8.93

54.65%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

$10.70 £7.94

-60.00%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$2,028 £1,504

-76.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 104.0M

$33.0K £24.5K

-82.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 809.3K

$98.3 £72.9

-53.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 646.3K

$49.02 £36.36

-25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

$117 £86.9

-30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$99.6 £73.9

-19.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

$1,227 £910

-8.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.5M

$1,107 £821

-36.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.8M

$2,203 £1,634

60.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.3M

$1,547 £1,147

13.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.2M

$5,566 £4,128

-49.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.7M

$3,550 £2,633

-35.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$3,282 £2,434

-94.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.11

169.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cardiff: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $1,227 in Cardiff. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cardiff pays 1833% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $87.0 in Cardiff for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $300 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Cardiff: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Cardiff differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $2,489 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1833% lower in Cardiff. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,227 in Cardiff. 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 $39.00 versus $87.0 in Cardiff. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,489 in Cardiff – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,489 in Cardiff, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Cardiff. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali 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 Cardiff 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Cardiff. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.