Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Embu

For one person, living is cheaper in Embu: $517 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Embu
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Embu Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Embu

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Embu

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 Embu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Embu.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Embu $517

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $822 in Embu.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Embu $822

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,127 in Embu.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Embu $1,127

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 165% more expensive than in Embu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Embu is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$6.24 KES 809

-46.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$30.87 KES 4,002

13.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$5.42 KES 702

7.01%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.35 KES 305

16.17%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.36 KES 46.68

355.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.24 KES 31.13

245.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$2.28 KES 296

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$2.63 KES 341

63.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$0.56 KES 72.9

167.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$0.52 KES 66.8

342.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.96 KES 124

22.92%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$1.71 KES 222

25.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$3.89 KES 504

349.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$3.21 KES 416

25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$4.20 KES 544

191.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$3.34 KES 433

6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.05 KES 136

49.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.06 KES 267

8.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$0.41 KES 53.0

370.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$0.63 KES 81.5

198.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$0.91 KES 118

151.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.74 KES 95.8

33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.55 KES 71.9

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$3.65 KES 473

-37.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$11.48 KES 1,489

100.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$2.23 KES 289

4.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$2.70 KES 350

7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$1.14 KES 148

-78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$1.51 KES 196

-68.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$1.58 KES 205

-70.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$2.94 KES 382

85.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.60 KES 207

-45.00%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$21.2K KES 2.7M

15.95%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$12.2K KES 1.6M

156.60%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$57.1 KES 7,400

45.43%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$15.06 KES 1,952

-57.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$34.48 KES 4,470

-46.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$17.41 KES 2,257

220.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$4.28 KES 555

2.34%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$251 KES 32.5K

96.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$12.6K KES 1.6M

-54.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$9.22 KES 1,196

400.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$29.38 KES 3,809

20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$70.3 KES 9,113

12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$15.37 KES 1,993

410.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$76.2 KES 9,876

1399.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$53.1 KES 6,886

1172.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$91.6 KES 11.9K

1755.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$272 KES 35.3K

-39.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

14.71

-6.32%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Embu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Embu

$53 10.3% 92.1% $623

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Embu

$148 28.6% 49.1% $143

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Embu

$113 22% 4.3% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Embu

$107 20.6% 1.3% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Embu

$56 10.8% 48% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Embu

$26 5% 59.8% $39

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Embu

$14 * 2.7% 11.5% $1.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $76.2 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embu pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Embu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $148 per month, with Embu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇪 Embu

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

20:55 8:55 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

41,092

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Embu 8,660 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Embu

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 Embu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Embu differ by about 165% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $517 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Embu. 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: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $76.2 in Embu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $251 in Embu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Embu – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $517 in Embu versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Embu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Embu 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 Embu 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 Embu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.