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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $518 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $758 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $998 in Garowe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 174% more expensive than Garowe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Garowe is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$1.94 SOS 1,104

83.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$8.91 SOS 5,061

267.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$3.07 SOS 1,746

61.24%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.18 SOS 1,240

24.31%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.47 SOS 836

-8.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.22 SOS 123

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$14.23 SOS 8,083

-79.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.02 SOS 580

77.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.41 SOS 234

514.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.86 SOS 490

34.88%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.33 SOS 1,326

5.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.98 SOS 1,694

44.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$3.90 SOS 2,215

211.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.95 SOS 1,105

96.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.53 SOS 870

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.22 SOS 695

131.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.89 SOS 505

161.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.67 SOS 378

185.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.71 SOS 406

209.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.83 SOS 473

21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.92 SOS 522

-15.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$0.98 SOS 559

238.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.31 SOS 177

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.47 SOS 836

-68.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$4.97 SOS 2,822

22.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$119 SOS 67.9K

-33.09%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$9.99 SOS 5,674

-59.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$49.08 SOS 27.9K

-52.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$19.94 SOS 11.3K

394.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$34.75 SOS 19.7K

774.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$20.22 SOS 11.5K

174.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$30.47 SOS 17.3K

25.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$15.16 SOS 8,611

484.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$90.6 SOS 51.5K

1010.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$61.0 SOS 34.7K

1006.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$352 SOS 199.7K

879.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$180 SOS 102.5K

1030.01%

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

$398 SOS 226.2K

-58.51%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Garowe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $90.6 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garowe pays 141% 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 $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 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 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Garowe earns 141% 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 $90.6 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $34.75 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $518 in Garowe versus $1,419 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 174% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.