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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $494 in Embu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $793 in Embu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,092 in Embu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 187% more expensive than Embu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Embu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$5.48 KES 709

-35.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$31.25 KES 4,046

4.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.46 KES 707

-9.34%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.27 KES 294

19.38%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.33 KES 43.17

306.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.22 KES 28.30

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.37 KES 307

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.96 KES 383

33.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.56 KES 72.6

223.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.49 KES 63.4

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.95 KES 124

22.11%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.70 KES 219

44.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$3.89 KES 503

278.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$3.26 KES 422

32.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$4.23 KES 547

187.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$3.13 KES 405

22.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.09 KES 141

43.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.07 KES 268

36.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.40 KES 52.3

482.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.63 KES 81.8

203.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.91 KES 118

141.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.65 KES 84.5

55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.52 KES 67.0

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.11 KES 403

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$11.69 KES 1,513

103.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.29 KES 297

21.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.79 KES 361

2.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$1.15 KES 149

-76.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.57 KES 203

-70.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$1.52 KES 197

-70.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$2.92 KES 377

108.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.49 KES 193

-46.98%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$21.3K KES 2.8M

22.79%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$12.6K KES 1.6M

155.55%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$34.28 KES 4,438

133.20%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$16.91 KES 2,189

-75.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$37.94 KES 4,911

-38.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$17.66 KES 2,287

458.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.31 KES 557

-3.71%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$201 KES 26.0K

51.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$8,024 KES 1.0M

-17.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$9.36 KES 1,212

493.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$23.63 KES 3,059

62.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$66.0 KES 8,542

34.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$15.35 KES 1,987

407.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$76.2 KES 9,861

1221.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$55.2 KES 7,148

1122.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$92.6 KES 12.0K

2102.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$270 KES 34.9K

-38.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

14.84

-10.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Embu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $76.2 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Embu pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $31.00 in Embu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 187% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $494 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Embu earns 63% less. 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: $1,006 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 $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $201 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $494 in Embu versus $1,419 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 187% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.