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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $961 in Kukes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,403 in Kukes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,845 in Kukes.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 48% more expensive than Kukes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kukes is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$9.35 ALL 767

-61.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$37.52 ALL 3,077

-12.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$7.26 ALL 595

-31.82%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.85 ALL 152

46.49%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.59 ALL 131

-15.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.87 ALL 71.0

-19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.29 ALL 188

27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.19 ALL 262

24.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.55 ALL 127

16.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.79 ALL 64.4

218.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$2.03 ALL 166

-42.86%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.95 ALL 242

-16.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$9.18 ALL 753

60.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$6.91 ALL 567

-37.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$8.04 ALL 659

51.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.15 ALL 94.0

233.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.79 ALL 146

-12.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$0.93 ALL 76.1

204.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.32 ALL 109

76.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.70 ALL 57.3

172.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.85 ALL 69.4

158.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.96 ALL 78.6

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.70 ALL 57.1

11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.45 ALL 283

-3.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$7.18 ALL 589

230.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.93 ALL 75.9

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.73 ALL 142

65.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.45 ALL 37.29

-40.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$18.63 ALL 1,528

-56.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$3.57 ALL 293

-87.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$3.20 ALL 262

-85.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$4.78 ALL 392

27.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$2.09 ALL 172

-62.20%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$34.8K ALL 2.9M

-24.84%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$25.5K ALL 2.1M

25.86%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$66.9 ALL 5,486

19.49%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$17.14 ALL 1,406

-76.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$15.64 ALL 1,282

50.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$56.1 ALL 4,600

75.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$25.00 ALL 2,050

-73.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$3.62 ALL 297

14.64%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$94.5 ALL 7,747

221.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$35.96 ALL 2,949

54.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$23.35 ALL 1,915

64.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$40.74 ALL 3,340

117.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$49.40 ALL 4,050

57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$457 ALL 37.5K

120.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$347 ALL 28.5K

94.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$613 ALL 50.3K

461.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$429 ALL 35.2K

375.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,995 ALL 163.6K

42.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,333 ALL 109.3K

69.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$534 ALL 43.8K

-69.05%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kukes: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $457 in Kukes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kukes pays 223% 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 $38.00 in Kukes. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $195, 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 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Kukes earns 223% 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 $457 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 132% 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 $94.5 in Kukes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $961 in Kukes versus $1,419 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 48% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.