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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $989 in Nelspruit, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,603 in Nelspruit, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,732 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,217 in Nelspruit, rent included.

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Nelspruit, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ubud, Bali sits 7% above the global median, while Nelspruit is 26% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$11.05 R 185

-67.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$45.26 R 759

-28.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.54 R 59.4

43.22%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.92 R 32.22

47.40%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$1.03 R 17.27

30.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.78 R 13.05

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.49 R 25.00

100.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.55 R 42.74

50.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.18 R 19.82

47.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.95 R 15.90

167.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.01 R 16.86

17.82%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.96 R 32.90

23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.23 R 138

78.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.94 R 66.2

6.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$6.80 R 114

75.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.57 R 26.31

135.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.08 R 18.09

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.67 R 11.18

301.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.64 R 27.53

42.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.58 R 9.69

229.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.22 R 20.40

79.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.09 R 18.26

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.94 R 15.79

-23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.56 R 42.93

22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$3.73 R 62.6

529.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.92 R 15.50

197.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.44 R 24.14

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.63 R 27.30

-82.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.15 R 19.35

-60.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.88 R 14.79

-52.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$2.22 R 37.28

177.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.28 R 21.39

-34.38%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$22.6K R 378.7K

16.23%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$23.9K R 401.4K

35.71%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$119 R 1,995

-34.08%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$41.10 R 689

-90.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$33.65 R 564

-27.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$31.08 R 521

210.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.03 R 67.6

0.25%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$170 R 2,854

77.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,868 R 81.6K

33.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$49.96 R 838

7.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$33.25 R 558

14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$90.3 R 1,514

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$80.0 R 1,341

-1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$359 R 6,024

181.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$339 R 5,692

98.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$678 R 11.4K

400.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$686 R 11.5K

206.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Nelspruit: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $359 in Nelspruit. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $45.00 in Nelspruit. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Ubud, Bali vs $158 in Nelspruit – so Nelspruit wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Nelspruit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Nelspruit, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,158 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,484 in Nelspruit. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nelspruit, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,438 in Ubud, Bali and $989 in Nelspruit. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $303 per month in Ubud, Bali and $170 in Nelspruit. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nelspruit, where all-in costs run around $989, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,438. In Nelspruit it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nelspruit costs $989 versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Nelspruit. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.