Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kuruman

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuruman: $1,162 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Kuruman, South Africa
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Kuruman
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,162
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kuruman actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,162 in Kuruman.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Kuruman $1,162

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,815 in Kuruman.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Kuruman $1,815

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,468 in Kuruman.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Kuruman $2,468

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 15% more expensive than in Kuruman, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Kuruman 14% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 60.9K
$10.85 R 179
-68.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 625.4K
$37.97 R 626
-8.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 100.6K
$5.59 R 92.1
-0.36%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
$1.85 R 30.49
41.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
$1.14 R 18.82
35.09%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.59 R 9.66
8.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
$2.45 R 40.42
8.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 76.9K
$2.68 R 44.16
58.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.14 R 18.84
28.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
$1.31 R 21.55
74.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
$1.78 R 29.27
-37.64%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 37.9K
$4.26 R 70.2
-50.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 287.7K
$8.52 R 140
87.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.1K
$5.05 R 83.3
-23.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 205.8K
$7.49 R 123
52.20%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
$1.85 R 30.52
91.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
$1.63 R 26.81
-5.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$1.77 R 29.21
25.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
$1.66 R 27.42
18.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
$1.43 R 23.56
30.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
$1.42 R 23.39
70.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
$1.18 R 19.41
-13.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,427
$1.18 R 19.37
-55.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
$3.64 R 60.1
-39.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 393.2K
$4.93 R 81.3
341.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
$1.45 R 23.84
60.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.6K
$1.89 R 31.19
57.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,519
$1.56 R 25.74
-83.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 147.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,901
$0.85 R 14.05
-48.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,446
$0.82 R 13.51
-42.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.1K
$13.01 R 214
-56.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.49 R 24.52
-44.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 441.3M
$30.4K R 501.3K
-19.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 572.1M
$30.8K R 507.9K
2.85%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$153 R 2,528
-49.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 110.9K
$34.83 R 574
-82.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 341.4K
$37.52 R 618
-49.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 920.4K
$32.98 R 544
54.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 329.4K
$10.85 R 179
68.20%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.1K
$6.48 R 107
-32.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$265 R 4,364
85.94%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 220.6M
$6,306 R 103.9K
93.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 815.1K
$54.2 R 892
-16.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 629.7K
$34.07 R 561
2.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$98.2 R 1,618
-20.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$85.0 R 1,400
-8.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.4M
$438 R 7,220
145.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.0M
$403 R 6,648
64.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
$650 R 10.7K
440.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
$836 R 13.8K
99.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.2M
$799 R 13.2K
192.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
$679 R 11.2K
229.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Kuruman
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$1,098 R 18.1K
-84.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
10.92
26.19%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Kuruman
$403 39.3% $261
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Kuruman
$203 27.3% $76
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Kuruman
$122 14.9% $16
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Kuruman
$150 42.2% $45
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Kuruman
$226 120% $123
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Kuruman
$46 23.1% $14
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Kuruman
$11 * 6.3% $0.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $438 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays about 6.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $38 in Kuruman. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $203, with Kuruman cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇿🇦 Kuruman
🕒 Local time
13:14 1:14 PM
07:14 7:14 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
9,093
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,262 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Kuruman 9,750 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Kuruman

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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Kuruman?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $1,162 in Kuruman, so Kuruman is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Kuruman?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $438 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Kuruman?
Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $265 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $38 in Kuruman. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Ubud, Bali compared to Kuruman?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Kuruman gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Kuruman?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ubud, Bali or Kuruman safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kuruman are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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