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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,144 in KwaMhlanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,798 in KwaMhlanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,452 in KwaMhlanga.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 20% more expensive than in KwaMhlanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, KwaMhlanga is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$10.54 R 173

-67.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$43.18 R 707

-15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$6.04 R 99.0

-5.46%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.35 R 38.52

13.62%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.11 R 18.26

57.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.93 R 15.21

-6.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.41 R 39.51

22.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$2.80 R 45.81

61.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.21 R 19.78

33.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.12 R 18.29

108.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.79 R 29.32

-37.99%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.61 R 42.79

-15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$8.31 R 136

112.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$5.44 R 89.1

-24.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$7.55 R 124

61.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.93 R 31.61

92.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.71 R 28.05

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.80 R 29.41

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.72 R 28.18

13.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.57 R 25.78

21.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.50 R 24.54

55.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.22 R 20.00

-17.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$1.20 R 19.58

-54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.43 R 56.2

-34.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$5.24 R 85.8

340.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.44 R 23.63

68.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.05 R 33.53

46.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.58 R 25.90

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.60 R 9.81

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.97 R 15.91

-55.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$9.28 R 152

-39.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.47 R 24.06

-45.58%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$36.5K R 598.2K

-31.70%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$32.7K R 534.9K

-2.89%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$147 R 2,400

-44.40%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$35.01 R 573

-81.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$38.47 R 630

-51.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$33.63 R 551

69.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$7.62 R 125

-40.42%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$256 R 4,193

87.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$5,702 R 93.4K

0.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$55.4 R 908

-17.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$33.80 R 554

6.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$110 R 1,796

-26.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$92.8 R 1,520

-15.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$432 R 7,076

157.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$368 R 6,033

89.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$805 R 13.2K

351.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$759 R 12.4K

128.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$899 R 14.7K

209.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$694 R 11.4K

229.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

25.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for KwaMhlanga: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $432 in KwaMhlanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $43.00 in KwaMhlanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $200, with KwaMhlanga 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 KwaMhlanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

KwaMhlanga wins on cost – living expenses run 20% 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 $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $1,715 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $432 in KwaMhlanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,144 in KwaMhlanga – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,144 in KwaMhlanga versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in KwaMhlanga but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes KwaMhlanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but KwaMhlanga delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,144 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes KwaMhlanga hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and KwaMhlanga 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 KwaMhlanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.