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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $495 in Meru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $811 in Meru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,127 in Meru.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 182% more expensive than Meru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Meru is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$5.49 KES 711

-38.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$38.53 KES 4,986

-15.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$6.92 KES 895

-27.75%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.44 KES 315

15.57%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.70 KES 91.1

97.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.50 KES 64.5

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.27 KES 294

31.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$2.94 KES 381

35.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.87 KES 112

105.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.41 KES 52.8

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.06 KES 137

13.21%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.40 KES 181

70.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$11.70 KES 1,514

23.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$6.88 KES 890

-37.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$5.06 KES 655

133.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$3.02 KES 391

25.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.75 KES 97.2

117.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$0.79 KES 102

254.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$0.80 KES 104

182.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.07 KES 138

86.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$0.99 KES 128

123.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.24 KES 31.07

345.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.44 KES 57.1

72.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$3.07 KES 397

1.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$11.77 KES 1,523

102.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$2.19 KES 283

29.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.82 KES 365

-1.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.53 KES 198

-70.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$1.51 KES 195

-71.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$2.83 KES 366

111.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.03 KES 134

-22.33%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$22.1K KES 2.9M

16.81%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

59.25%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$34.06 KES 4,407

137.05%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$17.13 KES 2,216

-75.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$38.70 KES 5,008

-37.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$6.23 KES 806

-35.15%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$199 KES 25.7K

49.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$8,175 KES 1.1M

-19.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$18.59 KES 2,406

196.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$23.67 KES 3,063

62.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$66.2 KES 8,567

30.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$55.6 KES 7,191

40.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Meru: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $39.00 in Meru. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $186, with Meru 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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meru wins on cost – living expenses run 182% 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 $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $743 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 $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $199 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 $39.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $495 in Meru versus $1,394 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 $495 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 182% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.