Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Palmerston North Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Palmerston North

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,714 in Palmerston North.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,743 in Palmerston North.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,773 in Palmerston North.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 17% less than in Palmerston North, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Palmerston North 28% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$16.49 NZ$27.84

-78.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$71.3 NZ$120

-54.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$12.21 NZ$20.62

-59.46%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.57 NZ$6.03

-24.09%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$2.38 NZ$4.02

-43.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-66.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$7.15 NZ$12.07

-59.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$6.31 NZ$10.65

-37.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$2.01 NZ$3.40

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$2.10 NZ$3.54

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.75 NZ$2.95

-33.71%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$5.23 NZ$8.82

-52.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$8.26 NZ$13.95

78.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$9.23 NZ$15.58

-53.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$12.60 NZ$21.27

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.51 NZ$4.23

52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.80 NZ$3.04

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.46 NZ$4.15

15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$3.34 NZ$5.63

-30.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.16 NZ$3.64

-11.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$2.18 NZ$3.68

0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.04 NZ$3.45

-50.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.97 NZ$1.65

-19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$20.54 NZ$34.68

-83.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$9.04 NZ$15.27

162.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$2.52 NZ$4.26

10.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$5.41 NZ$9.14

-47.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$4.72 NZ$7.98

-94.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$30.37 NZ$51.3

-73.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$2.47 NZ$4.18

-81.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.84 NZ$3.11

-75.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$17.02 NZ$28.73

-64.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.73 NZ$2.92

-54.34%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$18.8K NZ$31.7K

39.11%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$21.8K NZ$36.7K

47.62%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$89.8 NZ$152

-10.98%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$37.60 NZ$63.5

-89.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$48.40 NZ$81.7

-51.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$34.74 NZ$58.7

184.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.16 NZ$22.22

-49.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$9.00 NZ$15.20

-53.89%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$1,004 NZ$1,694

-69.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$6,168 NZ$10.4K

7.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$57.6 NZ$97.3

-3.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$37.67 NZ$63.6

1.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$91.2 NZ$154

-2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$93.4 NZ$158

-16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$839 NZ$1,416

20.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$688 NZ$1,162

-1.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$1,548 NZ$2,614

122.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$1,390 NZ$2,347

46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$2,200 NZ$3,714

29.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,969 NZ$3,324

15.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$2,671 NZ$4,509

-93.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.69

98.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Palmerston North: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $839 in Palmerston North. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palmerston North pays 1516% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $71.0 in Palmerston North. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 vs $300, with Palmerston North cheaper for home cooking.

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 Palmerston North: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Palmerston North differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $1,714 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Palmerston North earns 1516% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $839 in Palmerston North. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,004 in Palmerston North. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palmerston North pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,714 in Palmerston North, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Palmerston North. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Palmerston North 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Palmerston North. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.