Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Port Shepstone Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Port Shepstone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,022 in Port Shepstone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,602 in Port Shepstone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,182 in Port Shepstone.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 35% more expensive than in Port Shepstone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Port Shepstone is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$7.84 R 127

-57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$38.65 R 625

-7.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$6.15 R 99.5

-8.46%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$2.87 R 46.50

-1.74%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$1.12 R 18.20

56.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.88 R 14.22

-9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$2.47 R 39.99

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.60 R 42.13

65.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$0.97 R 15.74

65.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$0.67 R 10.89

238.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$1.27 R 20.58

-7.87%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$1.48 R 24.01

46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$7.59 R 123

132.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$3.74 R 60.5

8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$7.12 R 115

71.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.24 R 19.99

191.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.77 R 12.48

112.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$0.65 R 10.56

255.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.51 R 24.49

29.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.62 R 9.96

196.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.43 R 23.13

65.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.97 R 15.65

8.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.66 R 10.67

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.82 R 61.8

-39.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$5.05 R 81.7

357.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.52 R 24.62

53.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$1.93 R 31.18

59.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$1.35 R 21.87

-81.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$0.45 R 7.36

8.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.74 R 11.90

-36.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$8.03 R 130

-30.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.36 R 22.06

-40.44%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$37.4K R 604.8K

-33.10%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$32.3K R 522.7K

-3.85%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$125 R 2,020

-33.76%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$18.92 R 306

-65.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$36.98 R 598

-49.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$33.80 R 547

63.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$6.96 R 113

-38.22%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$335 R 5,423

47.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$7,918 R 128.1K

-25.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$55.7 R 900

-16.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$30.89 R 500

17.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$98.9 R 1,600

-18.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$90.3 R 1,460

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$386 R 6,244

188.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$346 R 5,593

100.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$899 R 14.5K

304.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$763 R 12.3K

124.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$784 R 12.7K

251.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$653 R 10.6K

251.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$3,172 R 51.3K

-94.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.81

16.68%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $386 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays 1798% 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 $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $149, with Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Shepstone wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Shepstone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1798% lower in Port Shepstone. 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $386 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $335 in Port Shepstone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Shepstone – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,022 in Port Shepstone versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Port Shepstone but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Port Shepstone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Port Shepstone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,022 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Port Shepstone hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.