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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $872 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,336 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,801 in Howick.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 65% more expensive than Howick, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Howick is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.38 R 56.7

5.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$28.23 R 473

15.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.45 R 57.8

46.96%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.94 R 32.46

45.88%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.58 R 9.66

131.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.47 R 7.90

46.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.94 R 32.60

54.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.20 R 36.90

75.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.04 R 17.51

67.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.80 R 13.50

217.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.10 R 18.51

8.18%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.17 R 36.47

11.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$4.89 R 82.0

199.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.28 R 38.31

83.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$5.08 R 85.1

135.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.56 R 26.17

136.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.09 R 18.34

47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.31 R 22.02

105.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.14 R 19.16

104.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.86 R 14.42

122.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.18 R 19.76

85.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.91 R 15.29

16.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.92 R 15.42

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.14 R 52.7

-0.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$4.74 R 79.5

395.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.09 R 18.34

151.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.14 R 19.18

152.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.62 R 27.10

-82.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.66 R 27.85

-72.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.63 R 10.50

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.57 R 110

-6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.19 R 19.97

-29.41%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$14.2K R 238.7K

84.39%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$22.1K R 370.5K

47.00%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$146 R 2,445

-46.21%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$13.83 R 232

-71.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$33.87 R 568

-27.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$30.79 R 516

213.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$5.50 R 92.2

-26.55%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$102 R 1,705

197.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,644 R 77.9K

40.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$41.81 R 701

28.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$13.89 R 233

173.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$83.6 R 1,401

3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$45.31 R 760

74.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$367 R 6,150

176.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$329 R 5,520

104.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$681 R 11.4K

397.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$698 R 11.7K

200.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$758 R 12.7K

293.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$623 R 10.4K

275.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$1,194 R 20.0K

-85.50%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Howick: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $367 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Howick pays 589% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Howick earns 589% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $367 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $102 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 $872 in Howick versus $1,438 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 65% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.