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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $526 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $809 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,092 in Machakos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 160% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Machakos is 62% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$3.07 KES 397

12.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.5K

$19.14 KES 2,476

89.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.3K

$6.36 KES 823

-10.22%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$1.96 KES 254

36.22%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$0.60 KES 77.3

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.53 KES 69.0

64.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$2.13 KES 276

38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.74 KES 355

64.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.38 KES 48.67

326.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.47 KES 61.1

395.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

$0.73 KES 94.8

52.05%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

$1.38 KES 178

59.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 314.0K

$10.68 KES 1,383

65.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$6.50 KES 841

-36.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.1K

$4.68 KES 606

160.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.57 KES 204

136.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$0.81 KES 104

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$0.38 KES 48.89

500.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$0.37 KES 48.05

427.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$0.80 KES 104

138.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.78 KES 101

198.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.69 KES 89.0

46.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,795

$0.38 KES 48.70

44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$3.39 KES 439

-34.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.5K

$11.68 KES 1,512

97.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.95 KES 253

24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$2.83 KES 366

6.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,586

$0.79 KES 102

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,697

$0.79 KES 102

-45.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$2.86 KES 370

97.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.43 KES 186

-44.06%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.7M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

13.82%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.8M

$20.5K KES 2.6M

54.95%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$62.6 KES 8,097

30.19%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$7.54 KES 976

-13.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.1K

$11.42 KES 1,477

64.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$38.55 KES 4,988

47.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$7.71 KES 997

-41.12%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$46.27 KES 5,988

938.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.4M

$11.4K KES 1.5M

-49.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.9K

$11.44 KES 1,480

297.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.9K

$27.85 KES 3,604

28.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.0 KES 9,181

13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$38.84 KES 5,026

102.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$92.3 KES 11.9K

1108.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$70.3 KES 9,094

892.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$154 KES 20.0K

2256.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$115 KES 14.8K

1415.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$391 KES 50.6K

-57.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

14.71

-6.32%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Machakos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $92.3 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 133% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $162 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 160% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 133% lower in Machakos. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $92.3 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% 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 $526 in Machakos – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Machakos versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $526 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.