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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $870 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,361 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,852 in Kigali.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 58% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Kigali is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$2.76 RWF 4,049

20.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$30.30 RWF 44.4K

18.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$6.73 RWF 9,869

-16.34%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.48 RWF 3,632

13.71%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.75 RWF 1,096

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.52 RWF 769

53.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$0.99 RWF 1,456

207.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.43 RWF 3,560

76.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$0.80 RWF 1,170

101.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.03 RWF 1,510

120.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.31 RWF 1,916

-10.69%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.66 RWF 2,433

30.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$4.17 RWF 6,116

322.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$4.38 RWF 6,419

-7.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$4.48 RWF 6,565

171.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.36 RWF 3,460

53.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.90 RWF 1,322

82.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.54 RWF 2,262

50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.03 RWF 1,513

90.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.52 RWF 756

253.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.79 RWF 1,154

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.70 RWF 1,029

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.79 RWF 1,152

-31.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$2.05 RWF 3,002

12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$10.05 RWF 14.7K

129.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.93 RWF 1,369

151.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.56 RWF 2,294

96.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.35 RWF 518

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$25.87 RWF 37.9K

-63.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$2.79 RWF 4,089

-82.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$2.06 RWF 3,029

-77.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$3.33 RWF 4,891

68.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.72 RWF 2,523

-52.91%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$25.7K RWF 37.7M

-2.59%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$30.1K RWF 44.1M

3.36%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$84.1 RWF 123.3K

-1.58%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$7.20 RWF 10.6K

-9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$20.98 RWF 30.8K

-10.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$26.94 RWF 39.5K

105.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$4.35 RWF 6,385

318.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.44 RWF 5,041

25.00%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$113 RWF 165.2K

338.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$9,432 RWF 13.8M

-37.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$17.09 RWF 25.1K

170.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$15.57 RWF 22.8K

134.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$21.86 RWF 32.1K

269.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$33.79 RWF 49.6K

133.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$664 RWF 974.2K

67.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$427 RWF 627.1K

62.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,418 RWF 2.1M

156.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$868 RWF 1.3M

97.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

-18.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$3,057 RWF 4.5M

-25.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$280 RWF 410.1K

-40.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

16.2

-14.94%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Kigali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $664 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kigali pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $150 per month, with Kigali 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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Kigali. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $664 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 96% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kigali – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $870 in Kigali versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kigali but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kigali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $870 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kigali 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 Kigali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.