Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Potchefstroom

For one person, living is cheaper in Potchefstroom: $976 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Potchefstroom
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Potchefstroom Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Potchefstroom

🇿🇦 South Africa

$976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $976 in Potchefstroom.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Potchefstroom $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,450 in Potchefstroom.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Potchefstroom $1,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,924 in Potchefstroom.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Potchefstroom $1,924

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than in Potchefstroom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Potchefstroom is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$6.93 R 114

-51.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$30.12 R 496

16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$5.26 R 86.6

10.27%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.08 R 34.34

31.25%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$1.09 R 17.93

50.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.73 R 11.95

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$2.43 R 40.10

11.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$2.73 R 45.02

57.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.20 R 19.80

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$1.11 R 18.30

107.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.82 R 30.06

-35.16%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$2.34 R 38.48

-8.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$7.60 R 125

130.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$4.44 R 73.2

-9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$7.18 R 118

70.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$1.46 R 24.03

143.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.51 R 24.96

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$1.76 R 29.01

27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.18 R 19.49

63.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.10 R 18.20

70.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.11 R 18.31

106.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.22 R 20.02

-18.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$1.10 R 18.06

-51.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$3.16 R 52.0

-27.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$4.18 R 68.8

450.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$1.11 R 18.21

110.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$1.90 R 31.30

53.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$1.16 R 19.06

-79.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.31 R 5.13

54.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.77 R 12.61

-40.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$14.26 R 235

-61.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$1.49 R 24.53

-40.94%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$35.3K R 582.0K

-30.45%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$33.8K R 557.3K

-7.80%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$149 R 2,455

-44.30%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$30.02 R 495

-78.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$36.18 R 596

-48.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$29.99 R 494

86.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$10.74 R 177

68.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$7.03 R 116

-37.70%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$125 R 2,054

295.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$5,390 R 88.8K

6.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$26.70 R 440

73.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$21.35 R 352

65.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$86.0 R 1,417

-8.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$70.2 R 1,157

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$279 R 4,596

309.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$318 R 5,242

112.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$449 R 7,402

679.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$554 R 9,121

207.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$878 R 14.5K

217.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$715 R 11.8K

213.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$889 R 14.6K

-81.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.34

21.52%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Potchefstroom: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Potchefstroom

$318 32.6% 52.9% $357

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Potchefstroom

$177 18.1% 39.1% $114

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Potchefstroom

$121 12.4% 11.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Potchefstroom

$215 22.1% 99.2% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Potchefstroom

$92 9.4% 14.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Potchefstroom

$44 4.5% 31.8% $21

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Potchefstroom

$8.8 * 0.9% 30.1% $3.8

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 $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $279 in Potchefstroom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Potchefstroom pays 440% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Potchefstroom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $177 per month, with Potchefstroom cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇿🇦 Potchefstroom

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

13:29 1:29 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

43,448

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Potchefstroom 9,400 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Potchefstroom

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 Potchefstroom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Potchefstroom is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 440% lower in Potchefstroom. 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: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $279 in Potchefstroom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $976 in Potchefstroom – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $976 in Potchefstroom versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Potchefstroom but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Potchefstroom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Potchefstroom is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Potchefstroom 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 Potchefstroom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.