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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,258 in Kobe.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,901 in Kobe.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,545 in Kobe.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 13% more expensive than Kobe, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$8.49 ¥1,358

-58.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$27.56 ¥4,409

18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.72 ¥756

4.87%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.07 ¥491

-11.73%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.99 ¥159

35.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.70 ¥112

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.37 ¥379

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.09 ¥494

28.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.62 ¥259

11.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.28 ¥204

96.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$4.73 ¥756

-75.48%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.67 ¥267

47.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$13.98 ¥2,236

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$7.68 ¥1,228

-43.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$15.15 ¥2,424

-19.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$9.17 ¥1,467

-58.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.79 ¥445

-44.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$4.72 ¥755

-40.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$9.50 ¥1,520

-75.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$3.95 ¥632

-51.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$2.54 ¥407

-13.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.33 ¥212

-24.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.43 ¥228

-45.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.54 ¥566

-6.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$8.34 ¥1,335

184.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.76 ¥441

1.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.29 ¥367

24.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$1.44 ¥230

-81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$38.33 ¥6,130

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$3.57 ¥571

-87.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$1.29 ¥206

-65.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$17.35 ¥2,775

-64.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.19 ¥190

-33.61%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$21.6K ¥3.5M

20.88%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$14.3K ¥2.3M

124.05%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$142 ¥22.7K

-43.68%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$27.24 ¥4,358

-85.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$34.52 ¥5,521

-31.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$46.92 ¥7,505

110.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$20.89 ¥3,342

-68.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$12.35 ¥1,975

-66.40%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$360 ¥57.6K

-15.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$11.5K ¥1.8M

-42.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$46.65 ¥7,461

19.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$32.12 ¥5,137

19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$40.55 ¥6,487

118.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$47.69 ¥7,628

63.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$481 ¥77.0K

109.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$310 ¥49.7K

117.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$691 ¥110.5K

398.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$590 ¥94.3K

245.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$4,360 ¥697.4K

-34.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$2,851 ¥456.0K

-20.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,769 ¥283.0K

-90.66%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kobe: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $481 in Kobe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kobe pays 971% 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 Kobe. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $384, 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 13% 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, Kobe earns 971% 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 $481 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 377% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $360 in Kobe. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,258 in Kobe versus $1,419 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 $1,258 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 13% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.