Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and KwaMhlanga

For one person, living is cheaper in KwaMhlanga: $1,105 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in KwaMhlanga
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KwaMhlanga Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

KwaMhlanga

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,105

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,105 in KwaMhlanga.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
KwaMhlanga $1,105

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,707 in KwaMhlanga.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
KwaMhlanga $1,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,309 in KwaMhlanga.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
KwaMhlanga $2,309

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 20% more expensive than in KwaMhlanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% lower, KwaMhlanga 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.2K

$10.79 R 180

-68.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 628.6K

$34.72 R 579

-0.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.1K

$6.08 R 101

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

$2.00 R 33.26

31.00%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.20 R 20.03

28.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.91 R 15.25

-29.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$2.10 R 34.94

27.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.3K

$2.52 R 42.03

69.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.15 R 19.11

26.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$1.14 R 19.03

100.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$1.77 R 29.43

-37.29%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$2.50 R 41.63

-16.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.2K

$8.22 R 137

93.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.4K

$4.76 R 79.3

-18.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 206.8K

$7.36 R 123

54.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.4K

$1.80 R 29.97

97.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$1.62 R 27.06

-4.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$1.73 R 28.84

28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.61 R 26.78

22.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$1.47 R 24.53

26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$1.33 R 22.17

81.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$1.25 R 20.78

-18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,475

$1.14 R 19.00

-54.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$3.15 R 52.6

-30.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.2K

$5.05 R 84.2

331.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$1.47 R 24.46

58.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.97 R 32.83

50.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,542

$1.71 R 28.54

-85.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,941

$0.86 R 14.31

-48.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,489

$0.80 R 13.32

-41.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

$10.64 R 177

-47.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.52 R 25.34

-45.39%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.5M

$35.0K R 583.0K

-30.13%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.0M

$33.3K R 554.7K

-4.78%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$146 R 2,437

-47.01%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.5K

$33.90 R 565

-81.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.1K

$38.07 R 634

-50.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.0K

$32.37 R 539

57.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.0K

$12.60 R 210

44.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$7.31 R 122

-40.08%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$199 R 3,308

148.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.7M

$6,066 R 101.1K

101.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.2K

$52.9 R 882

-14.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 632.9K

$32.97 R 549

5.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$101 R 1,676

-22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$88.2 R 1,470

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.5M

$335 R 5,587

221.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

$360 R 6,005

84.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

$640 R 10.7K

448.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

$723 R 12.0K

131.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.4M

$807 R 13.4K

190.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

$622 R 10.4K

259.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

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 KwaMhlanga: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

KwaMhlanga

$360 32.6% 45.8% $305

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

KwaMhlanga

$191 17.3% 31.5% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

KwaMhlanga

$124 11.2% 16.3% $17

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

KwaMhlanga

$153 13.8% 44.3% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

KwaMhlanga

$218 19.8% 113% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

KwaMhlanga

$47 4.3% 21.4% $13

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

KwaMhlanga

$12 * 1.1% 2% $0.2

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 $335 in KwaMhlanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $35 in KwaMhlanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $191, with KwaMhlanga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇿🇦 KwaMhlanga

🕒 Local time

02:44 2:44 AM

20:44 8:44 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

18,604

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,309 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali KwaMhlanga 9,260 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
KwaMhlanga

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 KwaMhlanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

KwaMhlanga wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making KwaMhlanga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $1,657 in KwaMhlanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in KwaMhlanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,105 in KwaMhlanga – KwaMhlanga is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. KwaMhlanga is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.