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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $848 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,178 in Meru.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 164% more expensive than in Meru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$4.60 KES 596

-25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.0K

$35.36 KES 4,580

2.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$6.21 KES 805

-8.05%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.86 KES 370

-6.64%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.60 KES 77.3

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.59 KES 76.4

47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$2.34 KES 303

26.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.1K

$2.65 KES 344

70.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.82 KES 106

97.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.37 KES 48.36

529.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.06 KES 137

4.72%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.40 KES 181

57.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.8K

$10.63 KES 1,377

66.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$6.27 KES 812

-34.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$4.89 KES 633

149.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.7K

$3.23 KES 419

14.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$0.75 KES 96.8

112.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$0.80 KES 104

185.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.74 KES 95.2

163.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.09 KES 141

75.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.99 KES 128

135.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.24 KES 31.11

320.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,788

$0.40 KES 52.2

37.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$3.55 KES 460

-37.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.2K

$11.36 KES 1,472

103.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$2.29 KES 297

5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.85 KES 369

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,580

$1.55 KES 201

-69.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,691

$1.53 KES 198

-71.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$2.85 KES 369

97.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.52 KES 197

-47.37%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.4M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

13.96%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.4M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

57.29%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$63.1 KES 8,171

29.12%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$15.47 KES 2,003

-58.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.9K

$35.65 KES 4,617

-47.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$7.79 KES 1,009

-41.72%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$247 KES 32.0K

94.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-51.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.3K

$27.93 KES 3,618

62.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.4K

$28.47 KES 3,687

26.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$69.3 KES 8,975

16.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$57.9 KES 7,502

35.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

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

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 Meru: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $35.00 in Meru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $178 per month, with Meru 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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meru wins on cost – living expenses run 164% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $776 in Meru 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.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $247 in Meru. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Meru – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $517 in Meru versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Meru but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Meru the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meru delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $517 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meru hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Meru 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 Meru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.