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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,024 in Middelburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,579 in Middelburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,133 in Middelburg.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 36% more expensive than in Middelburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Middelburg is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$8.34 R 137

-57.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$33.54 R 552

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$4.83 R 79.4

3.73%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.20 R 19.83

135.00%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.81 R 13.29

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.56 R 9.30

30.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.14 R 18.77

157.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$1.42 R 23.41

177.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.16 R 19.03

53.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.96 R 15.88

155.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.38 R 22.78

-16.67%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.53 R 25.23

57.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$5.55 R 91.3

158.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.55 R 74.9

-7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$6.09 R 100

98.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.53 R 25.23

137.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.01 R 16.59

55.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.03 R 16.96

170.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.20 R 19.70

86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.54 R 25.28

28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.11 R 18.20

105.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.16 R 19.07

-9.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.96 R 15.87

-17.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.22 R 36.59

43.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$4.81 R 79.2

388.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.71 R 28.17

69.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.94 R 31.88

42.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$1.35 R 22.17

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$38.57 R 635

-78.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$1.10 R 18.18

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.96 R 15.84

-52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$4.06 R 66.8

49.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.27 R 20.99

-32.28%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$20.9K R 344.8K

26.94%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$23.8K R 391.5K

36.87%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$119 R 1,953

-33.41%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$35.63 R 587

-88.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$41.63 R 685

-42.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$31.60 R 520

212.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$6.57 R 108

-38.96%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$198 R 3,256

50.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$4,305 R 70.9K

53.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$49.97 R 823

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$31.86 R 524

19.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$90.4 R 1,488

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$79.4 R 1,306

-3.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$370 R 6,093

175.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$337 R 5,551

101.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$679 R 11.2K

410.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$698 R 11.5K

199.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$874 R 14.4K

212.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$636 R 10.5K

260.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,181 R 19.4K

-86.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.51

15.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $370 in Middelburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays 621% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Middelburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $159, with Middelburg 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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middelburg wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Middelburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 621% lower in Middelburg. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $370 in Middelburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middelburg runs roughly 361% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in Middelburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,024 in Middelburg versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Middelburg but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Middelburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Middelburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,024 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Middelburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Middelburg 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 Middelburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.