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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,155 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,795 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,435 in Grahamstown.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Grahamstown is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.5K

$11.18 R 186

-70.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 632.1K

$42.90 R 714

-17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.4K

$5.85 R 97.5

-8.89%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.11 R 35.08

30.33%

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

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$1.05 R 17.46

64.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.78 R 13.04

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

$2.72 R 45.36

8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.4K

$3.28 R 54.5

35.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

$1.15 R 19.09

30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$1.07 R 17.80

114.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

$1.49 R 24.75

-26.17%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

$2.85 R 47.54

-24.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 305.7K

$8.90 R 148

92.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.4K

$5.33 R 88.8

-27.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 213.2K

$8.94 R 149

33.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 63.8K

$2.14 R 35.71

66.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$1.56 R 26.04

1.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

$1.72 R 28.63

37.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$1.85 R 30.73

6.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.71 R 28.54

5.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

$1.47 R 24.44

62.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$1.27 R 21.20

-19.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,792

$1.03 R 17.16

-52.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

$3.37 R 56.1

-33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 399.0K

$5.06 R 84.2

340.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.23 R 20.52

92.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

$1.87 R 31.07

55.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,457

$1.57 R 26.13

-84.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,906

$0.65 R 10.81

-32.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,556

$0.50 R 8.38

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.3K

$8.44 R 140

-32.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.43 R 23.82

-43.36%

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

$23.7K Rp 424.7M

$36.7K R 611.2K

-35.33%

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

$31.0K Rp 554.3M

$33.9K R 564.7K

-8.66%

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

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$124 R 2,069

-33.75%

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

$6.30 Rp 112.7K

$35.82 R 596

-82.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 333.4K

$46.54 R 775

-59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 979.2K

$32.84 R 547

66.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 330.1K

$11.50 R 191

60.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

$10.63 R 177

-60.11%

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

$484 Rp 8.7M

$184 R 3,065

163.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 100.0M

$5,014 R 83.5K

11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 818.9K

$72.3 R 1,203

-36.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 638.6K

$38.82 R 646

-8.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$114 R 1,894

-31.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$96.9 R 1,614

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

$399 R 6,651

187.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.1M

$369 R 6,143

83.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 62.7M

$764 R 12.7K

358.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

$766 R 12.8K

120.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 49.9M

$864 R 14.4K

222.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.4M

$644 R 10.7K

250.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,235 R 20.6K

-86.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.94

15.41%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $399 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 648% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $43.00 in Grahamstown. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $201, with Grahamstown cheaper for home cooking.

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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 648% lower in Grahamstown. 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: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $399 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,374 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,155 in Grahamstown – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,374 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,155 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.