Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $1,007 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Port Shepstone, South Africa
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Port Shepstone
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,007
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Port Shepstone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,007 in Port Shepstone.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Port Shepstone $1,007

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,582 in Port Shepstone.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Port Shepstone $1,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,156 in Port Shepstone.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Port Shepstone $2,156

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 34% more expensive than in Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$8.04 R 134
-58.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
$39.88 R 666
-10.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$5.95 R 99.5
-7.06%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.64 R 44.12
3.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$1.14 R 19.05
49.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.86 R 14.35
-11.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$2.49 R 41.62
6.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$2.64 R 44.15
65.91%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$0.95 R 15.85
56.84%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$0.71 R 11.79
221.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.24 R 20.75
-4.03%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.48 R 24.66
37.84%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
$7.20 R 120
145.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$3.69 R 61.6
7.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
$7.49 R 125
62.75%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$1.24 R 20.69
195.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$0.75 R 12.53
102.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$0.62 R 10.37
259.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.51 R 25.16
30.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.60 R 9.95
208.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.40 R 23.38
72.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.88 R 14.77
12.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,313
$0.63 R 10.53
-19.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$3.70 R 61.8
-40.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
$4.88 R 81.6
355.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$1.46 R 24.40
54.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$1.92 R 32.09
54.69%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,553
$1.54 R 25.76
-83.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,972
$0.45 R 7.54
-2.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$0.75 R 12.57
-42.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
$7.76 R 130
-30.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.36 R 22.68
-39.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
$36.2K R 604.2K
-34.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
$33.3K R 555.6K
-4.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$123 R 2,052
-35.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
$18.50 R 309
-65.14%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
$36.99 R 618
-49.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
$31.96 R 534
54.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
$11.10 R 186
59.01%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$7.29 R 122
-41.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$315 R 5,263
55.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
$7,688 R 128.4K
-26.19%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
$53.6 R 896
-16.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
$30.74 R 514
13.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$100 R 1,678
-20.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$86.4 R 1,443
-8.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$397 R 6,639
183.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$363 R 6,069
84.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$745 R 12.5K
378.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$743 R 12.4K
132.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$886 R 14.8K
208.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$678 R 11.3K
236.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Port Shepstone
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$3,014 R 50.4K
-94.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
11.78
16.98%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Port Shepstone
$363 45.9% $308
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Port Shepstone
$147 49% $141
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Port Shepstone
$140 29.6% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Port Shepstone
$122 13.5% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Port Shepstone
$178 71.3% $74
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Port Shepstone
$47 19.8% $12
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Port Shepstone
$10 * 9.1% $1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $397 in Port Shepstone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Port Shepstone pays about 18 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $40 in Port Shepstone. Groceries flip the comparison at $288 vs $147, with Port Shepstone cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇿🇦 Port Shepstone
🕒 Local time
10:37 10:37 AM
04:37 4:37 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
52,793
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,311 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.34 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Port Shepstone 9,030 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Port Shepstone

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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Port Shepstone?
Port Shepstone wins on cost – living expenses run 25% 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.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Port Shepstone?
On paper, salaries run 95% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Port Shepstone?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $397 in Port Shepstone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Port Shepstone?
Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $315 in Port Shepstone. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Port Shepstone?
Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36 versus $40 in Port Shepstone. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Port Shepstone?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Port Shepstone 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 Port Shepstone?
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.

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