Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Plettenberg Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Plettenberg Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,138 in Plettenberg Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,846 in Plettenberg Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,554 in Plettenberg Bay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 20% more expensive than in Plettenberg Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Plettenberg Bay is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$11.14 R 182

-69.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$43.30 R 709

-16.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.85 R 95.9

-2.39%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.11 R 34.57

26.54%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.03 R 16.87

69.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.74 R 12.20

17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.79 R 45.73

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$2.10 R 34.47

115.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.16 R 18.97

39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.02 R 16.69

128.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.48 R 24.19

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.77 R 45.30

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$8.77 R 144

101.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$5.64 R 92.5

-27.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$8.93 R 146

36.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.90 R 31.08

95.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.40 R 22.86

13.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.40 R 22.96

62.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.58 R 25.86

23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.06 R 17.29

80.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.91 R 14.95

156.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.88 R 14.35

14.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$1.00 R 16.33

-45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$2.89 R 47.30

-22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$4.96 R 81.3

365.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.24 R 20.28

95.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$1.79 R 29.26

67.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.58 R 25.84

-82.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.65 R 10.62

-26.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.48 R 7.83

-10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$3.75 R 61.4

50.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.40 R 22.88

-42.86%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$36.6K R 599.7K

-31.87%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$29.6K R 484.8K

7.14%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$125 R 2,041

-34.63%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$35.06 R 574

-81.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$32.63 R 534

-42.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$31.90 R 522

78.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$1.21 R 19.83

1447.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$6.64 R 109

-31.63%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$153 R 2,505

214.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$6,212 R 101.7K

-8.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$45.49 R 745

0.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$37.75 R 618

-4.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$114 R 1,872

-29.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$96.9 R 1,587

-18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$704 R 11.5K

58.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$402 R 6,588

73.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,403 R 23.0K

159.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$921 R 15.1K

88.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,170 R 35.5K

28.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,527 R 25.0K

49.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,374 R 22.5K

-87.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.33

33.40%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Plettenberg Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $704 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plettenberg Bay pays 718% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $43.00 in Plettenberg Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $192, with Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plettenberg Bay wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plettenberg Bay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 718% lower in Plettenberg Bay. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $704 in Plettenberg Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $153 in Plettenberg Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Plettenberg Bay – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,138 in Plettenberg Bay versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Plettenberg Bay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Plettenberg Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plettenberg Bay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,138 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plettenberg Bay hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Plettenberg Bay 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 Plettenberg Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.