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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Howick is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$7.61 R 123

-56.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$39.44 R 638

-9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$5.68 R 91.8

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.85 R 46.05

-1.05%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.13 R 18.30

54.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.95 R 15.32

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.57 R 41.60

18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.60 R 42.11

65.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.25 R 20.29

28.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.07 R 17.31

112.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.56 R 25.30

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.46 R 39.83

-11.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$8.59 R 139

105.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$5.35 R 86.6

-24.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$7.24 R 117

68.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.00 R 32.41

81.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.99 R 32.13

-17.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$2.05 R 33.16

12.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.72 R 27.77

13.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.60 R 25.82

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.46 R 23.54

62.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$1.26 R 20.38

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$1.24 R 20.05

-56.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.82 R 61.9

-39.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$5.01 R 81.1

360.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.52 R 24.64

53.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.98 R 32.11

55.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$1.65 R 26.72

-84.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$0.49 R 7.96

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.77 R 12.40

-38.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$7.97 R 129

-29.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.39 R 22.47

-41.73%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$36.6K R 591.6K

-31.60%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$32.8K R 530.5K

-5.27%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$143 R 2,318

-42.26%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$15.71 R 254

-58.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$40.22 R 651

-53.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$30.36 R 491

81.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$7.10 R 115

-39.44%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$325 R 5,260

51.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$7,921 R 128.2K

-25.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$56.3 R 911

-17.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$30.93 R 500

17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$101 R 1,628

-19.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$89.5 R 1,448

-11.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$387 R 6,263

187.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$391 R 6,318

77.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$832 R 13.5K

337.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$750 R 12.1K

128.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,017 R 16.4K

171.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$667 R 10.8K

243.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.81

16.68%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Howick. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $202, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $1,644 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $325 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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 Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.