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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $453 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $752 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,051 in Machakos.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 217% more expensive than Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Machakos is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$2.34 KES 303

52.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$38.88 KES 5,024

-16.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

$6.85 KES 885

-25.99%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$1.99 KES 257

42.21%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$0.74 KES 95.8

81.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.50 KES 65.0

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$1.91 KES 247

56.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$2.70 KES 349

42.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$0.38 KES 48.77

357.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$0.45 KES 57.9

464.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.81 KES 104

46.91%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$1.35 KES 175

80.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$11.65 KES 1,506

25.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$6.69 KES 865

-37.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$4.57 KES 591

161.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$1.53 KES 198

141.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$0.73 KES 94.7

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$0.41 KES 52.5

556.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$0.37 KES 48.44

529.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$0.78 KES 101

144.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$0.75 KES 97.5

192.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.65 KES 84.1

63.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.41 KES 52.9

75.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$3.01 KES 389

3.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$11.72 KES 1,514

100.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$1.98 KES 255

38.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

$2.73 KES 353

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

$0.75 KES 97.2

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$0.80 KES 104

-47.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$2.97 KES 384

107.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

$1.45 KES 187

-42.07%

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

19.58%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

60.91%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$33.86 KES 4,375

131.60%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$7.93 KES 1,024

-50.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

$11.71 KES 1,513

108.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

$6.05 KES 782

-33.22%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$45.51 KES 5,881

564.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$8,077 KES 1.0M

-19.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

$11.55 KES 1,493

366.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

$24.37 KES 3,149

55.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$66.4 KES 8,581

30.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.37 KES 4,958

105.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$92.4 KES 11.9K

995.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

$69.9 KES 9,032

865.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

$154 KES 19.9K

2106.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

$115 KES 14.8K

1728.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$389 KES 50.3K

-55.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

14.84

-10.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Machakos: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $92.4 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Machakos pays 125% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Machakos. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $165, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 217% 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, Machakos earns 125% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $92.4 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $453 in Machakos – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $453 in Machakos versus $1,438 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 $453 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 217% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.