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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $788 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,231 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,673 in Kigali.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 79% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kigali is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.06 RWF 5,940

-15.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$27.39 RWF 40.1K

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.63 RWF 9,698

-27.00%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.15 RWF 3,137

27.91%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.81 RWF 1,184

70.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.56 RWF 825

33.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.03 RWF 1,501

190.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.06 RWF 3,010

86.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.66 RWF 959

163.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.07 RWF 1,566

129.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.27 RWF 1,859

-7.87%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.66 RWF 2,425

46.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$4.21 RWF 6,150

244.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.48 RWF 6,547

-2.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$3.66 RWF 5,359

227.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.41 RWF 3,525

54.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.00 RWF 1,462

63.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.49 RWF 2,177

83.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.10 RWF 1,606

103.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.52 RWF 762

269.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.81 RWF 1,188

181.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.47 RWF 693

125.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.80 RWF 1,166

-10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$1.78 RWF 2,598

84.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$10.03 RWF 14.7K

131.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.89 RWF 1,300

212.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.77 RWF 2,595

54.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.34 RWF 493

-20.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$27.87 RWF 40.7K

-70.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.16 RWF 4,622

-84.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.39 RWF 2,036

-69.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$3.86 RWF 5,647

61.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.18 RWF 1,732

-31.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$26.7K RWF 39.1M

-0.42%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$29.8K RWF 43.6M

7.86%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$45.93 RWF 67.2K

70.59%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$8.60 RWF 12.6K

-52.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$17.77 RWF 26.0K

36.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$28.54 RWF 41.7K

245.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$3.88 RWF 5,680

63.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$3.38 RWF 4,940

18.05%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$156 RWF 228.3K

95.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$5,189 RWF 7.6M

28.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$17.23 RWF 25.2K

214.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$19.22 RWF 28.1K

96.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$24.61 RWF 36.0K

252.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$31.38 RWF 45.9K

143.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$573 RWF 837.5K

73.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$352 RWF 515.3K

90.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$1,095 RWF 1.6M

208.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$691 RWF 1.0M

196.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,380 RWF 4.9M

-17.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,974 RWF 4.3M

-25.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$300 RWF 438.9K

-44.37%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kigali: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $573 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kigali pays 80% 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 Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 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 79% 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 80% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $573 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 102% 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 $27.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $788 in Kigali versus $1,408 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 $788 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 79% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.