Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
East London, South Africa
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
East London
🇿🇦 South Africa
$992
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in East London

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in East London actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $992 in East London, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • East London $992

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,611 in East London, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • East London $1,611

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,230 in East London, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • East London $2,230

Ubud, Bali costs about 36% more than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$9.10 R 151
-63.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.3K
$38.23 R 635
-6.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.5K
$5.57 R 92.5
-0.72%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$2.05 R 34.01
32.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$1.04 R 17.30
63.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.76 R 12.68
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$2.69 R 44.62
-1.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$3.21 R 53.3
36.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.18 R 19.67
26.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$0.87 R 14.51
162.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.44 R 23.94
-17.36%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$2.27 R 37.75
-10.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.5K
$8.37 R 139
111.47%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$5.49 R 91.2
-27.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.4K
$6.71 R 111
81.67%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$1.46 R 24.26
150.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.53 R 25.39
-0.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$1.63 R 27.12
36.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.43 R 23.81
37.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$1.68 R 27.84
10.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.43 R 23.69
69.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.17 R 19.45
-15.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,324
$0.95 R 15.79
-46.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$2.89 R 47.99
-23.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.9K
$4.70 R 78.0
373.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$1.19 R 19.76
89.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$0.98 R 16.35
203.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,559
$1.47 R 24.48
-82.99%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.1K
$46.85 R 778
-83.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,982
$1.22 R 20.27
-63.93%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,811
$0.46 R 7.58
-6.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
$8.38 R 139
-35.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.35 R 22.41
-39.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.0M
$34.7K R 575.7K
-31.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 576.6M
$29.3K R 486.3K
8.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$122 R 2,030
-35.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.1K
$32.64 R 542
-80.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.4K
$44.35 R 736
-58.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 898.7K
$39.51 R 656
25.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
$4.54 R 75.4
-5.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$177 R 2,941
176.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
$5,438 R 90.3K
4.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 810.7K
$56.8 R 944
-21.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.8K
$32.80 R 545
6.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$73.1 R 1,213
9.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$95.2 R 1,580
-16.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$290 R 4,822
287.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$251 R 4,161
167.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$543 R 9,011
556.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$633 R 10.5K
172.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
East London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$1,664 R 27.6K
-90.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11
25.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
East London
$251 62.7% $421
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
East London
$180 37.7% $109
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
East London
$141 31.1% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
East London
$116 7.9% $8.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
East London
$199 91.5% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
East London
$49 16.3% $9.4
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
East London
$56 393% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $290 in East London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in East London are about 10 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $38 in East London. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Ubud, Bali vs $180 in East London – so East London wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇿🇦 East London
🕒 Local time
17:12 5:12 PM
11:12 11:12 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
267,007
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,161 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,333 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali East London 9,250 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • East London

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in East London compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $992 in East London – East London comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to East London?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,487 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and East London?
Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and East London?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $177 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Ubud, Bali or East London?
Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?