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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $789 in Embu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,089 in Embu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 186% more expensive than in Embu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Embu is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$3.93 KES 509

-14.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$31.04 KES 4,017

24.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$5.30 KES 686

4.15%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.25 KES 292

17.33%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.34 KES 43.64

391.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.22 KES 28.31

250.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$2.38 KES 308

10.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.67 KES 345

60.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$0.55 KES 71.7

181.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$0.52 KES 67.6

326.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$0.96 KES 124

17.71%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.71 KES 221

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$3.78 KES 489

360.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$3.20 KES 414

20.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$4.23 KES 547

196.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$3.32 KES 430

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.04 KES 135

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$1.94 KES 251

21.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$0.37 KES 48.42

456.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.69 KES 89.4

175.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$0.92 KES 119

154.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.73 KES 94.9

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.53 KES 68.1

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$3.43 KES 443

-34.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$11.70 KES 1,513

103.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$2.25 KES 291

2.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$2.83 KES 367

-1.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$1.14 KES 147

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.56 KES 202

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$1.52 KES 196

-70.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$2.86 KES 370

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.53 KES 198

-50.33%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$20.4K KES 2.6M

19.83%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$12.5K KES 1.6M

157.21%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$60.5 KES 7,827

38.10%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$15.08 KES 1,951

-57.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$35.70 KES 4,619

-46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$17.09 KES 2,211

227.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$4.13 KES 534

3.63%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$239 KES 30.9K

103.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$11.7K KES 1.5M

-49.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$9.17 KES 1,187

396.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$25.70 KES 3,324

41.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$64.3 KES 8,313

27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$15.23 KES 1,970

427.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$77.7 KES 10.1K

1337.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$54.4 KES 7,034

1189.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$93.0 KES 12.0K

1794.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$273 KES 35.3K

-37.78%

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: August 31, 2026

Last update for Embu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $77.7 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embu pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Embu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $147 per month, with Embu 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 Embu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Embu differ by about 186% in total monthly costs ($1,396 vs $489 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $77.7 in Embu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $239 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 $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Embu versus $1,396 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 186% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.