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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $982 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,566 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,150 in Kuruman.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 43% more expensive than in Kuruman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$8.32 R 137

-58.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$32.97 R 544

-1.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.89 R 80.7

-1.02%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.64 R 27.06

67.68%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.07 R 17.72

28.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.58 R 9.53

29.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.31 R 38.04

29.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.54 R 41.85

51.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.11 R 18.33

56.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.04 R 17.16

136.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.64 R 27.12

-28.66%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.41 R 39.83

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$7.84 R 129

84.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.63 R 76.4

-6.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.75 R 111

77.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.60 R 26.44

132.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.54 R 25.45

5.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.50 R 24.69

82.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.63 R 26.89

37.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.37 R 22.57

40.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.24 R 20.41

83.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.09 R 17.98

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.98 R 16.22

-26.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.85 R 47.09

15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$4.92 R 81.2

371.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.37 R 22.66

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.70 R 28.12

60.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.63 R 26.90

-83.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.15 R 18.97

-58.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.94 R 15.56

-55.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$3.98 R 65.7

56.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.23 R 20.24

-34.15%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$21.3K R 352.2K

24.70%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$24.3K R 401.7K

32.25%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$118 R 1,950

-33.69%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$34.62 R 571

-88.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$41.81 R 690

-41.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$31.28 R 516

215.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.61 R 109

-39.64%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$200 R 3,301

52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$4,275 R 70.6K

55.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$50.8 R 839

6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$31.79 R 525

18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$90.4 R 1,492

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$78.4 R 1,294

-2.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$358 R 5,908

177.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$333 R 5,499

101.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$684 R 11.3K

393.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$691 R 11.4K

196.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$898 R 14.8K

212.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$745 R 12.3K

198.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,094 R 18.1K

-84.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.51

15.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $358 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 555% 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 $33.00 in Kuruman. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $179, with Kuruman 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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Kuruman differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $982 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 555% lower in Kuruman. 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 $358 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $200 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $982 in Kuruman versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kuruman 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 Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.