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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $747 in Kampala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,128 in Kampala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,508 in Kampala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 90% more expensive than Kampala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kampala is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$2.82 UGX 10.6K

26.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$26.26 UGX 98.7K

24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$8.39 UGX 31.5K

-41.00%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.87 UGX 10.8K

-5.57%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.51 UGX 1,914

162.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.31 UGX 1,178

125.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.37 UGX 5,142

113.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.72 UGX 10.2K

45.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.74 UGX 2,797

144.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.25 UGX 4,690

101.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.34 UGX 5,045

-13.43%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.82 UGX 6,849

35.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$4.29 UGX 16.1K

242.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$4.92 UGX 18.5K

-12.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$4.15 UGX 15.6K

192.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.73 UGX 10.3K

40.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.46 UGX 5,496

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.65 UGX 6,219

71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.53 UGX 5,746

52.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.63 UGX 6,121

17.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.91 UGX 7,172

15.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.02 UGX 3,841

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.54 UGX 2,013

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$2.89 UGX 10.9K

14.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$8.75 UGX 32.9K

171.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.24 UGX 4,665

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.14 UGX 8,053

33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.86 UGX 3,248

-68.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$41.33 UGX 155.4K

-80.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.58 UGX 2,162

-20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.26 UGX 972

73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$4.13 UGX 15.5K

47.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.46 UGX 5,478

-45.89%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$8,985 UGX 33.8M

191.04%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$8,649 UGX 32.5M

271.36%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$41.73 UGX 156.9K

91.56%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$14.10 UGX 53.0K

-71.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$43.81 UGX 164.8K

-46.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$48.49 UGX 182.4K

103.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$7.56 UGX 28.4K

-12.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$6.25 UGX 23.5K

-33.60%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$161 UGX 603.6K

89.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$4,373 UGX 16.4M

51.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$17.20 UGX 64.7K

222.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$14.21 UGX 53.4K

169.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$39.06 UGX 146.9K

126.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$47.64 UGX 179.1K

63.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$395 UGX 1.5M

154.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$219 UGX 822.4K

208.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$982 UGX 3.7M

250.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$347 UGX 1.3M

488.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,231 UGX 4.6M

130.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$980 UGX 3.7M

131.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$191 UGX 717.4K

-13.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

20.8

-36.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kampala: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $395 in Kampala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kampala pays 15% 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 $26.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $166 per month, with Kampala 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 Kampala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kampala is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kampala earns 15% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $395 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kampala – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $747 in Kampala versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kampala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kampala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kampala 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 Kampala 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 Kampala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.