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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $753 in Kampala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,118 in Kampala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,483 in Kampala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 87% more expensive than in Kampala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kampala is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$2.74 UGX 10.1K

25.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$26.91 UGX 99.5K

20.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$8.77 UGX 32.4K

-44.81%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.74 UGX 10.1K

0.36%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.47 UGX 1,742

193.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.31 UGX 1,153

141.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.36 UGX 5,041

119.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.82 UGX 10.4K

36.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.71 UGX 2,617

145.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.25 UGX 4,629

96.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.34 UGX 4,944

-12.69%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.76 UGX 6,501

38.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$4.34 UGX 16.0K

234.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.87 UGX 18.0K

-10.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$4.23 UGX 15.6K

183.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.73 UGX 10.1K

36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.51 UGX 5,598

7.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.66 UGX 6,126

65.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.58 UGX 5,827

41.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.64 UGX 6,073

17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.94 UGX 7,194

17.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.07 UGX 3,955

-0.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.53 UGX 1,973

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.95 UGX 10.9K

11.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$8.62 UGX 31.9K

169.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.18 UGX 4,351

135.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.11 UGX 7,816

29.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.79 UGX 2,937

-65.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$41.36 UGX 153.0K

-80.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.55 UGX 2,029

-12.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.28 UGX 1,037

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$4.24 UGX 15.7K

46.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.43 UGX 5,285

-43.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$8,909 UGX 33.0M

198.71%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$8,617 UGX 31.9M

273.56%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$42.44 UGX 157.0K

84.61%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$14.53 UGX 53.7K

-71.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$43.09 UGX 159.4K

-43.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$48.76 UGX 180.4K

102.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$7.42 UGX 27.5K

-14.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.15 UGX 22.8K

-35.12%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$164 UGX 605.5K

86.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$4,247 UGX 15.7M

56.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$17.31 UGX 64.0K

212.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$14.47 UGX 53.5K

161.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$38.03 UGX 140.7K

128.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$46.10 UGX 170.5K

65.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$402 UGX 1.5M

146.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$225 UGX 831.5K

199.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$987 UGX 3.6M

242.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$337 UGX 1.2M

509.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,253 UGX 4.6M

123.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,001 UGX 3.7M

122.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$192 UGX 710.4K

-13.07%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kampala: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $402 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $27.00 in Kampala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 87% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Kampala. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $402 in Kampala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% 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 $27.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $753 in Kampala versus $1,408 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 87% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.