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: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,132 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,766 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,401 in Grahamstown.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 22% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Grahamstown is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$9.22 R 149

-64.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$43.66 R 703

-10.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$5.88 R 94.7

-4.42%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$2.14 R 34.54

23.36%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$1.04 R 16.70

51.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.74 R 11.89

-4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$2.83 R 45.55

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$3.15 R 50.7

37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.21 R 19.42

27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.08 R 17.39

112.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$1.54 R 24.75

-33.12%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$2.78 R 44.71

-23.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$8.94 R 144

93.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$5.47 R 88.0

-26.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$8.60 R 139

44.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$2.25 R 36.28

64.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.53 R 24.59

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$1.69 R 27.16

34.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.76 R 28.29

13.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$1.69 R 27.24

8.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$1.45 R 23.37

55.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$1.27 R 20.53

-18.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$1.06 R 17.06

-47.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$3.29 R 53.0

-32.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$4.85 R 78.1

378.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$1.25 R 20.06

91.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.87 R 30.12

53.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$1.51 R 24.39

-83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.60 R 9.62

-23.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.50 R 8.06

-8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$8.53 R 137

-33.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.40 R 22.56

-45.71%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$36.8K R 592.1K

-33.16%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$34.4K R 554.7K

-9.90%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$125 R 2,017

-34.37%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$34.98 R 563

-81.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$46.38 R 747

-60.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$32.24 R 519

73.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$11.01 R 177

-61.31%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$179 R 2,880

173.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$5,052 R 81.4K

14.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$73.4 R 1,182

-37.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$41.63 R 671

-13.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$114 R 1,839

-30.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$100 R 1,614

-19.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$396 R 6,375

189.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$369 R 5,945

87.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$752 R 12.1K

369.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$762 R 12.3K

124.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$890 R 14.3K

212.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$650 R 10.5K

248.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$1,195 R 19.3K

-85.84%

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: August 15, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: August 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $396 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 606% 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 $44.00 in Grahamstown. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 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 22% 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 606% 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $396 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,379 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,132 in Grahamstown – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,132 in Grahamstown versus $1,379 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 $1,132 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 22% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.