Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Northam

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,331 a month against $2,572 in Northam, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Northam, Australia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Northam
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,572
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,572 in Northam.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Northam $2,572

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,691 in Northam.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Northam $3,691

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,809 in Northam.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Northam $4,809

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 48% less than in Northam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% below, Northam is 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 60.9K
$20.68 A$29.84
-83.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 625.4K
$84.9 A$122
-59.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 100.6K
$10.94 A$15.78
-49.09%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
$4.48 A$6.46
-41.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
$2.90 A$4.18
-46.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$2.20 A$3.17
-70.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
$8.45 A$12.18
-68.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 76.9K
$8.16 A$11.77
-47.79%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$1.76 A$2.55
-17.05%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
$2.60 A$3.75
-11.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
$1.98 A$2.85
-43.94%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 37.9K
$4.69 A$6.76
-55.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 287.7K
$6.47 A$9.33
146.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.1K
$9.09 A$13.12
-57.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 205.8K
$14.20 A$20.48
-19.72%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
$2.76 A$3.99
28.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
$3.21 A$4.64
-52.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$3.50 A$5.05
-36.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
$4.92 A$7.10
-59.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
$2.93 A$4.23
-36.52%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
$1.91 A$2.75
26.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
$2.31 A$3.33
-55.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,427
$0.68 A$0.98
-23.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
$42.81 A$61.8
-94.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 393.2K
$3.44 A$4.97
533.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
$4.37 A$6.31
-46.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.6K
$3.34 A$4.82
-11.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,519
$2.78 A$4.01
-91.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 147.5K
$85.4 A$123
-90.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,901
$3.56 A$5.13
-87.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,446
$1.45 A$2.10
-67.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.1K
$41.13 A$59.3
-86.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.40 A$2.02
-40.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 441.3M
$30.3K A$43.7K
-19.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 572.1M
$27.3K A$39.4K
15.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$209 A$302
-62.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 110.9K
$24.31 A$35.07
-74.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 341.4K
$65.0 A$93.7
-70.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 920.4K
$55.0 A$79.3
-7.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 329.4K
$17.47 A$25.21
4.46%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.1K
$17.29 A$24.95
-74.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$2,334 A$3,367
-78.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 220.6M
$23.4K A$33.7K
-47.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 815.1K
$76.5 A$110
-40.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 629.7K
$62.3 A$89.8
-43.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$123 A$178
-36.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$163 A$235
-52.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.4M
$1,401 A$2,020
-23.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.0M
$1,240 A$1,788
-46.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
$2,249 A$3,244
56.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
$1,820 A$2,625
-8.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.2M
$5,898 A$8,508
-60.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
$4,898 A$7,066
-54.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Northam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.96
131.21%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Northam: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Northam
$1.2K 86.5% $575
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Northam
$315 12.7% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Northam
$191 79.7% $85
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Northam
$331 213% $225
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Northam
$298 191% $196
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Northam
$90 49.9% $30
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Northam
$107 798% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $1,401 in Northam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $85 in Northam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $315 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇦🇺 Northam
🕒 Local time
00:49 12:49 AM
00:49 12:49 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
6,000
💱 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 Northam 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Northam

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 Northam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Northam?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Northam. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Northam?
You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $3,858 in Northam 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Northam?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,401 in Northam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Northam?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $35 versus $85 in Northam. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Northam?
All in, you’ll spend $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,572 in Northam – Ubud, Bali is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Northam?
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 Northam?
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 Northam?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Northam 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 48% less than in Northam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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