Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mount Isa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,519 in Mount Isa, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Mount Isa, Australia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Mount Isa
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,519
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Mount Isa

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Mount Isa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,519 in Mount Isa.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Mount Isa $2,519

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,619 in Mount Isa.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Mount Isa $3,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,719 in Mount Isa.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Mount Isa $4,719

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 47% less than in Mount Isa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Mount Isa is 86% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 60.9K
$17.36 A$25.05
-80.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 625.4K
$84.2 A$121
-58.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 100.6K
$10.65 A$15.36
-47.70%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
$3.91 A$5.65
-32.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
$2.80 A$4.04
-45.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$2.25 A$3.25
-71.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
$7.83 A$11.29
-65.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 76.9K
$7.71 A$11.12
-44.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.52 A$2.19
-3.95%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
$2.65 A$3.82
-13.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
$2.21 A$3.19
-49.77%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 37.9K
$4.82 A$6.95
-56.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 287.7K
$9.18 A$13.24
73.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.1K
$9.09 A$13.12
-57.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 205.8K
$14.97 A$21.60
-23.85%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
$3.85 A$5.56
-7.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
$3.09 A$4.46
-50.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$3.24 A$4.67
-31.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
$4.70 A$6.77
-58.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
$2.72 A$3.92
-31.62%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
$2.38 A$3.43
1.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
$2.40 A$3.47
-57.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,427
$1.55 A$2.23
-66.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
$42.83 A$61.8
-94.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 393.2K
$14.25 A$20.55
52.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
$4.76 A$6.86
-51.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.6K
$5.29 A$7.64
-43.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,519
$2.70 A$3.90
-90.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 147.5K
$84.1 A$121
-90.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,901
$3.59 A$5.18
-87.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,446
$1.65 A$2.38
-71.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.1K
$40.77 A$58.8
-86.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.32 A$1.91
-37.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 441.3M
$29.7K A$42.9K
-17.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 572.1M
$25.9K A$37.4K
22.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$205 A$296
-62.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 110.9K
$27.82 A$40.14
-77.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 341.4K
$57.0 A$82.3
-66.83%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 920.4K
$55.6 A$80.1
-8.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 329.4K
$18.03 A$26.01
1.22%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.1K
$13.96 A$20.14
-68.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$2,165 A$3,123
-77.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 220.6M
$20.2K A$29.1K
-39.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 815.1K
$77.7 A$112
-41.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 629.7K
$54.8 A$79.1
-36.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$109 A$158
-28.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$123 A$178
-36.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.4M
$1,416 A$2,043
-23.91%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.0M
$1,217 A$1,755
-45.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
$2,259 A$3,258
55.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
$1,798 A$2,594
-7.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.2M
$5,881 A$8,483
-60.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
$5,029 A$7,255
-55.54%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Mount Isa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$4,453 A$6,424
-96.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.9
133.56%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Mount Isa
$1.2K 83% $552
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Mount Isa
$366 30.9% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Mount Isa
$164 54.6% $58
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Mount Isa
$293 177% $187
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Mount Isa
$290 183% $187
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Mount Isa
$83 39.7% $24
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Mount Isa
$107 793% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $1,416 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mount Isa pays about 27 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $84 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $366 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇦🇺 Mount Isa
🕒 Local time
15:50 3:50 PM
17:50 5:50 PM
2 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
17,936
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.693 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.617 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Mount Isa 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Mount Isa

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Mount Isa?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Mount Isa. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Mount Isa?
On paper, salaries run 96% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Mount Isa?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,416 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Mount Isa?
Childcare runs $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,165 in Mount Isa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Mount Isa?
Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Mount Isa. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Mount Isa?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ubud, Bali or Mount Isa?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Mount Isa?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Mount Isa are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Mount Isa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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