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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $864 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,329 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,793 in Howick.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Howick is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.28 R 53.1

8.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$28.38 R 459

14.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$3.45 R 55.8

40.87%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.90 R 30.74

44.74%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.58 R 9.31

127.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.47 R 7.58

48.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.95 R 31.50

49.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.28 R 36.93

66.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.04 R 16.78

64.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.82 R 13.27

201.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.11 R 17.90

8.11%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.12 R 34.33

15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$4.94 R 79.9

191.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.27 R 36.74

89.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$4.91 R 79.3

148.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.50 R 24.30

145.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.13 R 18.31

37.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.38 R 22.30

102.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.13 R 18.27

106.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.87 R 14.02

126.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.18 R 19.06

95.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.91 R 14.68

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.90 R 14.50

-18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.10 R 50.1

5.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$4.81 R 77.7

373.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.15 R 18.57

144.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.10 R 17.76

152.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$1.63 R 26.27

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.65 R 26.64

-72.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.61 R 9.92

-26.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.75 R 109

-7.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.19 R 19.18

-28.57%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$14.0K R 226.1K

85.76%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$22.8K R 367.9K

39.12%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$146 R 2,360

-44.67%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$13.82 R 223

-70.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$33.73 R 545

-27.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$30.89 R 499

216.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$5.47 R 88.4

-26.14%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$101 R 1,636

200.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$4,579 R 74.0K

44.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$41.52 R 671

30.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$14.12 R 228

174.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$83.0 R 1,342

3.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$44.18 R 714

73.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$364 R 5,886

170.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$336 R 5,424

96.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$680 R 11.0K

395.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$694 R 11.2K

197.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,000 R 16.2K

174.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$634 R 10.2K

251.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

12.01

10.57%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Howick: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $364 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $135 per month, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 63% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,296 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $364 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $101 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 $28.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $864 in Howick versus $1,404 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 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.