Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Johannesburg

For one person, living costs are similar in Ubud, Bali and in Johannesburg: $1,348 and $1,406 a month, rent and utilities included.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
Learn more

Johannesburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Johannesburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,348 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,348
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $2,312 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,192 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,312
Johannesburg $2,192

A family of three spends $3,276 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,978 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,276
Johannesburg $2,978

Ubud, Bali is about 4% cheaper than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Ubud, Bali and Johannesburg sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 1%, Johannesburg by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$11.96 R 197

-72.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

$44.08 R 727

-19.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

$7.41 R 122

-22.27%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

$2.47 R 40.67

6.48%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

$1.17 R 19.36

48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$0.87 R 14.41

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.26 R 37.31

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

$2.78 R 45.86

62.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$1.34 R 22.12

14.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

$1.24 R 20.41

77.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.78 R 29.33

-31.46%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$2.64 R 43.59

-18.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

$8.42 R 139

110.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

$5.36 R 88.4

-27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

$8.43 R 139

42.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

$2.05 R 33.76

76.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$1.80 R 29.65

-16.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$1.84 R 30.32

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$2.03 R 33.47

-1.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.71 R 28.23

5.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$1.83 R 30.16

30.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.41 R 23.34

-29.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

$1.32 R 21.82

-60.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$3.38 R 55.8

-35.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

$5.99 R 98.8

283.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

$1.84 R 30.31

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$2.44 R 40.28

22.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,255

$2.05 R 33.85

-88.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

$89.5 R 1,477

-92.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,876

$0.82 R 13.58

-46.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,582

$0.93 R 15.41

-54.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

$14.67 R 242

-62.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.50 R 24.77

-44.00%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

$36.0K R 594.6K

-32.50%

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

$32.7K R 539.8K

-2.53%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$227 R 3,751

-64.44%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

$37.98 R 627

-82.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$36.49 R 602

-50.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

$36.84 R 608

49.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

$17.39 R 287

6.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

$7.84 R 129

-45.92%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$238 R 3,931

103.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

$5,563 R 91.8K

2.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

$58.6 R 967

-22.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

$46.52 R 768

-25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$109 R 1,796

-27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$105 R 1,738

-26.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

$496 R 8,177

127.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

$422 R 6,958

59.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

$979 R 16.1K

269.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

$892 R 14.7K

94.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

$964 R 15.9K

193.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

$757 R 12.5K

204.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$1,755 R 29.0K

-90.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.91

26.31%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6%

Johannesburg

$422 29.9% 37.4% $252

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4%

Johannesburg

$216 15.3% 25.7% $74

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Johannesburg

$173 12.2% 59.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Johannesburg

$144 10.2% 35% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Johannesburg

$302 21.4% 186% $196

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7%

Johannesburg

$53 3.7% 17.4% $11

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 883% $93

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $496 in Johannesburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 959% higher in Johannesburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $44.00 in Johannesburg. Groceries tell a different story – $290 in Ubud, Bali vs $216 in Johannesburg – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

04:56 4:56 AM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

4,434,827

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Johannesburg 9,320 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Johannesburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johannesburg costs about 4% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,022 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,109 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $44.00 in Johannesburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,348 in Ubud, Bali and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That's a gap of about 4%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,348, than in Johannesburg at $1,406. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,348 versus $1,406 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Johannesburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.