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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,091 in Midrand.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,608 in Midrand.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,125 in Midrand.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 28% more expensive than Midrand, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Midrand is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$5.24 R 84.7

-35.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$28.40 R 460

14.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$5.00 R 80.9

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$1.43 R 23.15

97.20%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.99 R 16.02

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.77 R 12.50

-5.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.22 R 35.89

34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$2.27 R 36.80

74.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.03 R 16.67

73.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$1.01 R 16.35

143.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.23 R 19.85

-2.44%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$2.44 R 39.45

-2.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$8.17 R 132

76.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$4.82 R 78.0

-11.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$6.52 R 106

81.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.67 R 27.02

126.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.99 R 15.98

64.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.54 R 24.97

81.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.36 R 22.05

66.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.50 R 24.22

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.45 R 23.46

52.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.09 R 17.66

-1.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.94 R 15.13

-19.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$3.17 R 51.3

-1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$5.53 R 89.6

330.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$0.82 R 13.27

246.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$1.10 R 17.88

152.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.81 R 13.09

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$50.3 R 813

-83.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$1.10 R 17.83

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.56 R 9.12

-23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$4.13 R 66.8

44.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.23 R 19.83

-34.96%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$22.0K R 356.8K

17.07%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$24.4K R 394.2K

30.58%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$98.1 R 1,589

-17.73%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$22.77 R 369

-81.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$43.45 R 703

-44.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$56.1 R 908

74.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$4.57 R 74.0

45.30%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$7.49 R 121

-46.06%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$167 R 2,699

78.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$4,982 R 80.6K

32.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$49.83 R 807

10.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$33.91 R 549

13.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$78.8 R 1,276

9.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$78.4 R 1,270

-0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$455 R 7,359

116.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$424 R 6,866

56.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$762 R 12.3K

352.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$714 R 11.6K

185.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$902 R 14.6K

213.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$698 R 11.3K

226.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Midrand: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $455 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 $299 vs $171 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 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $1,636 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $455 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 500% 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 $167 in Midrand. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,091 in Midrand versus $1,394 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 28% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.