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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $529 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $763 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $998 in Garowe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 166% more expensive than in Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Garowe is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$2.02 SOS 1,148

70.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$8.80 SOS 4,998

267.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$2.96 SOS 1,679

63.51%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.20 SOS 1,252

25.00%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$1.52 SOS 864

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.20 SOS 116

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$14.65 SOS 8,322

-79.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.97 SOS 553

79.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.39 SOS 221

530.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.94 SOS 532

24.47%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$2.45 SOS 1,392

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$2.92 SOS 1,658

48.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$3.95 SOS 2,244

203.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$1.98 SOS 1,124

87.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.53 SOS 870

6.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$1.23 SOS 701

122.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$0.89 SOS 505

151.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.71 SOS 405

170.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.67 SOS 379

240.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.76 SOS 433

39.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.92 SOS 524

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.02 SOS 578

222.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.31 SOS 177

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$1.51 SOS 858

-68.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$5.01 SOS 2,847

24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$122 SOS 69.2K

-35.73%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$10.06 SOS 5,712

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$49.50 SOS 28.1K

-50.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$20.26 SOS 11.5K

386.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$34.64 SOS 19.7K

780.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$20.16 SOS 11.4K

168.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$30.22 SOS 17.2K

25.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$14.92 SOS 8,473

482.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$89.9 SOS 51.1K

1003.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$60.6 SOS 34.4K

1010.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$351 SOS 199.6K

860.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$177 SOS 100.8K

1055.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$401 SOS 227.7K

-58.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Garowe: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $89.9 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garowe pays 140% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $100 per month, with Garowe 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 Garowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Garowe is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 166% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 140% lower in Garowe. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $89.9 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $34.64 in Garowe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Garowe – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $529 in Garowe versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Garowe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Garowe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Garowe is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Garowe 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 Garowe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 166% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.