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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $524 in Garowe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $705 in Garowe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $885 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 2% above, Garowe is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$8.89 SOS 5,051

334.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$3.02 SOS 1,717

-12.58%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$1.54 SOS 877

8.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.19 SOS 106

305.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$32.86 SOS 18.7K

-92.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$1.27 SOS 722

-56.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.31 SOS 178

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.54 SOS 875

-68.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$4.90 SOS 2,781

16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$121 SOS 68.9K

-31.16%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$9.99 SOS 5,673

-35.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$49.73 SOS 28.2K

-61.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$19.78 SOS 11.2K

182.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$34.59 SOS 19.6K

1306.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$20.17 SOS 11.5K

125.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$29.82 SOS 16.9K

22.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$14.91 SOS 8,471

449.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$88.5 SOS 50.3K

1161.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$59.0 SOS 33.5K

1088.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$356 SOS 202.4K

892.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$177 SOS 100.6K

894.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$397 SOS 225.2K

-57.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Garowe: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $88.5 in Garowe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Garowe pays 134% 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 $9.00 in Garowe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $15.00 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 134% 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $88.5 in Garowe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $34.59 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 $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $524 in Garowe versus $1,396 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.