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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,102 in Midrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,618 in Midrand.

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

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 26% more expensive than in Midrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Midrand is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$5.38 R 88.7

-33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$28.08 R 462

15.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$4.93 R 81.1

1.62%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.44 R 23.71

95.83%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.99 R 16.22

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.78 R 12.81

-6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.26 R 37.19

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.26 R 37.13

74.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.08 R 17.76

64.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$1.02 R 16.82

140.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.22 R 20.13

-5.74%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.43 R 40.02

-0.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$8.40 R 138

70.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.69 R 77.2

-10.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$6.81 R 112

77.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.67 R 27.45

117.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.03 R 17.00

52.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.53 R 25.16

82.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.41 R 23.25

58.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.46 R 23.97

35.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.41 R 23.13

61.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.09 R 17.88

-3.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.89 R 14.72

-11.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$3.02 R 49.65

5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$5.43 R 89.3

332.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$0.86 R 14.22

237.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.10 R 18.03

150.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.88 R 14.50

-69.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$51.0 R 839

-83.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$1.15 R 18.86

-60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.56 R 9.19

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$4.12 R 67.8

47.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.22 R 20.04

-29.51%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$22.7K R 373.6K

17.16%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$23.7K R 389.9K

37.44%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$98.8 R 1,626

-19.99%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$22.51 R 371

-81.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$42.56 R 701

-43.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$55.9 R 920

76.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$4.44 R 73.1

43.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$7.42 R 122

-45.96%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$165 R 2,721

79.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$4,986 R 82.1K

32.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$49.96 R 822

6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$33.22 R 547

14.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$78.5 R 1,292

12.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$78.7 R 1,295

-2.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$441 R 7,266

131.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$412 R 6,787

64.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$778 R 12.8K

345.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$730 R 12.0K

186.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$863 R 14.2K

216.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$649 R 10.7K

253.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

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 Midrand: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $441 in Midrand. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Midrand for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $172 per month, with Midrand 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 Midrand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Midrand is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,653 in Midrand 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $441 in Midrand. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Midrand runs roughly 509% 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 $165 in Midrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,102 in Midrand versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Midrand but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Midrand the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Midrand is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Midrand 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 Midrand gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.