Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mbeya

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $426 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
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Mbeya Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $426 in Mbeya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Mbeya $426

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $656 in Mbeya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Mbeya $656

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $887 in Mbeya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Mbeya $887

Ubud, Bali costs about 218% more than Mbeya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Mbeya is 69% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$22.68 TZS 59.4K

53.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$7.77 TZS 20.4K

-26.64%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.52 TZS 3,989

72.37%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.37 TZS 958

364.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.37 TZS 964

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$0.72 TZS 1,882

268.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.55 TZS 1,435

185.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$0.93 TZS 2,430

135.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.92 TZS 2,414

28.26%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.32 TZS 6,067

-6.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$3.80 TZS 9,949

364.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$3.72 TZS 9,734

1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$3.30 TZS 8,643

262.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$1.15 TZS 3,003

213.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$0.78 TZS 2,051

103.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$0.99 TZS 2,581

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.73 TZS 1,917

161.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.97 TZS 2,538

83.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.78 TZS 2,053

198.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.56 TZS 1,465

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.72 TZS 1,883

-26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$1.14 TZS 2,998

100.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$3.72 TZS 9,744

493.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$0.78 TZS 2,045

201.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.16 TZS 3,038

156.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.40 TZS 1,036

-42.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.10 TZS 2,891

-57.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$1.85 TZS 4,834

-76.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$2.61 TZS 6,831

109.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.22 TZS 3,204

-31.97%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$23.68 TZS 62.0K

237.80%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$18.83 TZS 49.3K

-65.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$46.09 TZS 120.7K

-59.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$37.78 TZS 98.9K

43.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$9.50 TZS 24.9K

-55.26%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$191 TZS 500.6K

157.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$1,129 TZS 3.0M

395.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$11.42 TZS 29.9K

299.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$9.23 TZS 24.2K

278.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$19.08 TZS 50.0K

307.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$26.12 TZS 68.4K

200.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$114 TZS 297.4K

896.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$76.4 TZS 200.0K

781.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$187 TZS 491.0K

1827.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$112 TZS 292.3K

1424.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$191 TZS 501.5K

-13.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mbeya: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Mbeya

$76 17.9% 88.7% $597

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Mbeya

$115 26.9% 60.1% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Mbeya

$30 7% 72.2% $77

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3% 54.8% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Mbeya

$89 20.8% 15.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Mbeya

$57 13.3% 9.3% $5.8

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8% 4.2% $0.5

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $114 in Mbeya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 15% higher in Mbeya, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $23.00 in Mbeya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $115 – making Mbeya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🕒 Local time

22:18 10:18 PM

17:18 5:18 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

541,603

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Mbeya 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Mbeya

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 Mbeya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 218%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $639 in Mbeya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $426 in Mbeya. That's a gap of about 218%.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $191 in Mbeya. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mbeya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mbeya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.