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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $976 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,436 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,896 in Kukes.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 44% more expensive than in Kukes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kukes is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$9.38 ALL 765

-63.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$37.26 ALL 3,039

-13.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.90 ALL 563

-29.86%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.86 ALL 151

47.85%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.57 ALL 128

-12.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.82 ALL 67.0

-8.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.29 ALL 187

30.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.24 ALL 264

18.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.56 ALL 127

11.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.85 ALL 69.3

189.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$2.02 ALL 164

-42.08%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$3.04 ALL 248

-20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.29 ALL 757

56.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.21 ALL 588

-39.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$8.15 ALL 664

46.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.15 ALL 94.0

223.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.79 ALL 146

-8.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$0.99 ALL 80.4

176.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.39 ALL 113

61.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.74 ALL 60.1

159.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.79 ALL 64.3

188.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.93 ALL 75.8

13.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.72 ALL 58.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.55 ALL 290

-7.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$7.27 ALL 593

218.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.91 ALL 74.6

205.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.72 ALL 140

58.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.49 ALL 40.11

-44.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$18.63 ALL 1,519

-56.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$3.59 ALL 293

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$3.16 ALL 258

-86.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$4.63 ALL 377

34.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$2.11 ALL 172

-61.61%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$35.0K ALL 2.9M

-23.88%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$24.9K ALL 2.0M

29.27%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$67.8 ALL 5,529

15.58%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$17.32 ALL 1,413

-76.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$16.14 ALL 1,317

50.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$54.9 ALL 4,476

79.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$25.12 ALL 2,048

-74.76%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$3.46 ALL 282

15.32%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$95.4 ALL 7,777

219.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$35.24 ALL 2,874

53.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$23.28 ALL 1,898

62.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$41.26 ALL 3,365

110.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$50.2 ALL 4,092

52.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$442 ALL 36.1K

124.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$346 ALL 28.2K

94.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$603 ALL 49.1K

460.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$429 ALL 35.0K

377.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,835 ALL 149.7K

52.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,204 ALL 98.2K

84.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$520 ALL 42.4K

-67.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

232.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kukes: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $442 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 212% 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 $37.00 in Kukes. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $199, with Kukes 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 Kukes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kukes is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 212% lower in Kukes. 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 $442 in Kukes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kukes runs roughly 130% 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 $95.4 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $976 in Kukes versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kukes but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kukes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kukes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kukes 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 Kukes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.