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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,223 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,896 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,570 in Kobe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 15% more expensive than in Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kobe is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$8.47 ¥1,377

-59.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$28.16 ¥4,576

14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.95 ¥804

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.03 ¥492

-9.24%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.99 ¥162

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.76 ¥123

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.48 ¥403

20.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.15 ¥512

22.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.62 ¥263

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.27 ¥207

93.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$4.85 ¥788

-75.88%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.61 ¥262

50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$13.71 ¥2,227

5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.51 ¥1,220

-42.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$15.25 ¥2,478

-21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$8.97 ¥1,457

-58.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$2.91 ¥472

-43.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$4.83 ¥785

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$9.53 ¥1,549

-76.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$3.90 ¥634

-50.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$2.63 ¥428

-13.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.33 ¥216

-20.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.37 ¥223

-47.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.52 ¥571

-6.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$7.92 ¥1,287

192.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.76 ¥448

0.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.36 ¥384

15.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.48 ¥240

-81.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$38.41 ¥6,240

-78.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.53 ¥573

-86.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$1.35 ¥219

-68.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$17.46 ¥2,836

-64.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.22 ¥198

-33.61%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$22.3K ¥3.6M

19.36%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$14.6K ¥2.4M

120.27%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$141 ¥23.0K

-44.57%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$26.68 ¥4,335

-84.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$34.35 ¥5,581

-29.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$48.51 ¥7,882

103.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$20.94 ¥3,403

-69.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$12.50 ¥2,031

-68.08%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$350 ¥56.9K

-12.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$11.2K ¥1.8M

-40.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$46.02 ¥7,477

17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$32.30 ¥5,248

17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$40.98 ¥6,659

111.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$49.49 ¥8,041

54.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$486 ¥79.0K

104.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$316 ¥51.4K

112.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$701 ¥113.9K

381.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$598 ¥97.1K

243.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$4,228 ¥687.0K

-33.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,856 ¥464.1K

-22.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,739 ¥282.5K

-90.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

1.78

646.07%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kobe: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $486 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 942% 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 $28.00 in Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $382, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

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 Kobe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kobe wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kobe the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 942% lower in Kobe. 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 $486 in Kobe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kobe runs roughly 374% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $350 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,223 in Kobe versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kobe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kobe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kobe delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kobe hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kobe 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 Kobe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.