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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $781 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,219 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,658 in Kigali.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 82% more expensive than Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kigali is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$4.25 RWF 6,202

-16.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$28.20 RWF 41.1K

16.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.3K

$6.43 RWF 9,386

-23.02%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.15 RWF 3,142

26.05%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.83 RWF 1,207

61.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.52 RWF 756

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$1.02 RWF 1,482

186.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.11 RWF 3,082

87.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$0.70 RWF 1,026

158.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.07 RWF 1,560

135.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$1.24 RWF 1,816

-6.45%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.69 RWF 2,468

45.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$4.21 RWF 6,144

249.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$4.32 RWF 6,303

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$3.69 RWF 5,385

229.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$2.39 RWF 3,483

60.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.02 RWF 1,482

52.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.43 RWF 2,084

97.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.10 RWF 1,606

111.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.48 RWF 707

297.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$0.78 RWF 1,134

182.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.51 RWF 744

98.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.75 RWF 1,090

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$1.76 RWF 2,565

88.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.1K

$10.36 RWF 15.1K

129.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.95 RWF 1,389

193.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.78 RWF 2,598

60.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.37 RWF 533

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$27.51 RWF 40.1K

-70.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,231

$3.06 RWF 4,460

-84.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,117

$1.40 RWF 2,039

-67.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$3.92 RWF 5,718

55.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.18 RWF 1,728

-33.05%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$26.6K RWF 38.8M

-1.71%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.3M

$30.1K RWF 43.9M

6.72%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$46.68 RWF 68.1K

71.25%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$8.59 RWF 12.5K

-52.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.2K

$17.98 RWF 26.2K

30.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$28.78 RWF 42.0K

242.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$3.73 RWF 5,436

77.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$3.43 RWF 5,009

20.99%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$152 RWF 222.1K

99.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$5,049 RWF 7.4M

30.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$17.23 RWF 25.1K

222.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$19.73 RWF 28.8K

94.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$23.90 RWF 34.9K

270.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$31.15 RWF 45.4K

149.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.2M

$568 RWF 829.1K

77.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$357 RWF 521.1K

89.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$1,077 RWF 1.6M

219.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$696 RWF 1.0M

192.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

-16.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$3,028 RWF 4.4M

-25.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$303 RWF 442.5K

-45.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.2

-18.02%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kigali: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $568 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kigali pays 84% 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 Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $147 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 82% 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, Kigali earns 84% 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 $568 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% 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 $28.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $781 in Kigali versus $1,419 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 $781 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 82% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.