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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,000 in KwaMhlanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,575 in KwaMhlanga.

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

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 41% more expensive than in KwaMhlanga, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, KwaMhlanga is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$8.75 R 144

-60.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$34.20 R 564

-5.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.98 R 82.3

-2.81%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.10 R 34.69

30.95%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$1.03 R 16.97

33.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.81 R 13.42

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.26 R 37.32

32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.59 R 42.77

48.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.16 R 19.10

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.01 R 16.61

143.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.62 R 26.71

-27.78%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.42 R 39.92

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$7.49 R 124

93.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.58 R 75.6

-5.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.85 R 113

74.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.63 R 26.89

128.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.46 R 24.04

11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.47 R 24.23

86.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.64 R 27.07

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.31 R 21.67

46.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.24 R 20.43

83.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.06 R 17.47

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.92 R 15.24

-21.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.87 R 47.39

14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$4.79 R 79.1

384.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.39 R 22.93

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.66 R 27.32

64.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.66 R 27.42

-83.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.14 R 18.86

-57.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.90 R 14.91

-53.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$4.06 R 67.1

53.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.28 R 21.07

-36.72%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$21.1K R 349.0K

25.82%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$24.3K R 401.6K

32.28%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$120 R 1,986

-34.88%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$35.16 R 580

-88.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$42.12 R 695

-42.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$31.03 R 512

217.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.55 R 108

-39.08%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$195 R 3,220

56.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$4,377 R 72.2K

51.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$50.3 R 830

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$31.67 R 523

19.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$89.5 R 1,477

-2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$80.5 R 1,328

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$357 R 5,898

177.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$329 R 5,425

104.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$681 R 11.2K

395.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$690 R 11.4K

197.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$790 R 13.0K

255.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$598 R 9,869

272.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

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 KwaMhlanga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $357 in KwaMhlanga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in KwaMhlanga. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $176, 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 41% 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $1,500 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $357 in KwaMhlanga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,000 in KwaMhlanga – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,000 in KwaMhlanga versus $1,408 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 $1,000 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 41% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.