Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $885 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Nairobi, Kenya
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Nairobi
🇰🇪 Kenya
$885
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Nairobi

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 Nairobi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $885 in Nairobi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Nairobi $885

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,436 in Nairobi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Nairobi $1,436

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,987 in Nairobi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Nairobi $1,987

Ubud, Bali costs about 52% more than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$6.43 KES 835
-48.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
$34.51 KES 4,482
3.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$6.26 KES 813
-11.66%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$2.60 KES 338
4.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.64 KES 82.9
165.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.67 KES 86.8
13.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$2.30 KES 299
15.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
$2.75 KES 357
59.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$0.95 KES 123
56.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$0.59 KES 76.2
286.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.00 KES 260
-40.50%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$1.69 KES 220
20.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
$11.01 KES 1,430
60.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
$6.41 KES 832
-38.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
$6.41 KES 832
90.17%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
$3.42 KES 444
7.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.06 KES 138
43.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$2.03 KES 263
9.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$1.14 KES 147
72.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$1.10 KES 143
68.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$1.10 KES 143
120.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.74 KES 96.0
33.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,332
$0.76 KES 99.1
-32.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$3.38 KES 438
-34.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
$11.65 KES 1,513
90.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$2.26 KES 293
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$2.74 KES 356
8.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,562
$0.83 KES 108
-69.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
$46.81 KES 6,079
-83.29%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,989
$1.52 KES 197
-71.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,817
$1.52 KES 198
-71.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
$2.80 KES 364
93.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.55 KES 202
-47.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
$19.4K KES 2.5M
23.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
$22.2K KES 2.9M
42.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$56.7 KES 7,359
39.51%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$15.25 KES 1,981
-57.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
$34.78 KES 4,516
-46.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
$51.6 KES 6,705
-4.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
$15.64 KES 2,031
12.85%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$7.60 KES 987
-43.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$277 KES 36.0K
77.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
$12.3K KES 1.6M
-53.84%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
$27.73 KES 3,601
60.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
$29.36 KES 3,812
19.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$69.3 KES 9,000
15.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$59.1 KES 7,671
34.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$441 KES 57.3K
154.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$235 KES 30.6K
185.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$1,131 KES 146.9K
215.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$522 KES 67.8K
230.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$1,234 KES 160.2K
121.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$805 KES 104.5K
183.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Nairobi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$484 KES 62.9K
-66.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
14.71
-6.32%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Nairobi
$235 64.9% $436
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Nairobi
$209 27.4% $79
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Nairobi
$124 14.8% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Nairobi
$83 22.4% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Nairobi
$107 2.5% $2.6
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Nairobi
$67 15.2% $8.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Nairobi
$59 419% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $441 in Nairobi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Nairobi are about 3 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $35 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $209 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇰🇪 Nairobi
🕒 Local time
03:59 3:59 AM
22:59 10:59 PM
5 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
3,138,295 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Nairobi 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Nairobi

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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Nairobi?
Ubud, Bali costs about 52% more than Nairobi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Nairobi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,327 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Nairobi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How expensive is transport in Ubud, Bali compared to Nairobi?
Public transport costs about 83% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Nairobi?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $277 in Nairobi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Nairobi?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $885 in Nairobi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Nairobi?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $885 versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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