Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Knysna

For one person, living is cheaper in Knysna: $1,198 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Knysna
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Knysna Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Knysna

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,198

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Knysna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Knysna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,198 in Knysna, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Knysna $1,198

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,788 in Knysna, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Knysna $1,788

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,379 in Knysna, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Knysna $2,379

Ubud, Bali costs about 13% more than Knysna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Knysna is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$9.64 R 159

-66.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$39.13 R 645

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.73 R 94.5

-0.52%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.11 R 34.70

24.17%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.07 R 17.57

60.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.72 R 11.84

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.34 R 38.49

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.78 R 45.75

57.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.19 R 19.58

31.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.07 R 17.57

104.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.47 R 24.27

-19.73%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.81 R 46.24

-23.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$8.66 R 143

103.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.90 R 80.8

-22.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$8.09 R 133

47.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$1.59 R 26.22

126.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.54 R 25.32

3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.60 R 26.39

44.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.55 R 25.53

23.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.60 R 26.33

11.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.39 R 22.83

67.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.28 R 21.02

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$1.03 R 17.00

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$3.24 R 53.5

-29.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$4.97 R 81.9

344.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.21 R 19.91

94.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.54 R 25.44

93.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.49 R 24.49

-84.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.62 R 10.21

-24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.56 R 9.30

-23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$8.34 R 137

-34.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.41 R 23.22

-41.13%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$23.6K R 388.8K

1.17%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$27.7K R 455.9K

18.46%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$113 R 1,855

-28.95%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$33.83 R 557

-80.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$44.58 R 735

-58.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$48.38 R 797

11.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$9.84 R 162

85.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$8.76 R 144

-51.48%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$182 R 3,001

170.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$5,898 R 97.2K

-5.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$42.18 R 695

8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$33.77 R 556

3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$107 R 1,770

-27.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$77.4 R 1,275

1.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$514 R 8,462

120.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$480 R 7,912

40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$837 R 13.8K

331.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$799 R 13.2K

113.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,001 R 16.5K

171.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,056 R 17.4K

112.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$942 R 15.5K

-82.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.83

16.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Knysna: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Knysna

$480 40.1% 28.6% $193

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Knysna

$190 15.9% 33.9% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Knysna

$117 9.8% 10.1% $11

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Knysna

$144 12% 35.3% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Knysna

$191 16% 81.6% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Knysna

$66 5.5% 5.3% $3.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Knysna

$9.4 * 0.8% 24.5% $3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $514 in Knysna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 466% higher in Knysna, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $39.00 in Knysna. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Ubud, Bali vs $190 in Knysna – so Knysna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇿🇦 Knysna

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

15:57 3:57 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

51,078

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Knysna 9,680 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Knysna

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Knysna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,797 in Knysna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Knysna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $1,198 in Knysna. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $182 in Knysna. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Knysna, where all-in costs run around $1,198, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Knysna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Knysna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Knysna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.