Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Reading

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,763 in Reading, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Reading, United Kingdom
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Reading
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,763
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,763 in Reading, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Reading $2,763

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,013 in Reading, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Reading $4,013

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,264 in Reading, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Reading $5,264

Ubud, Bali is about 51% cheaper than Reading, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$27.16 £20.25
-87.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.7K
$92.3 £68.8
-61.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$10.43 £7.77
-46.98%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$4.98 £3.71
-45.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$2.89 £2.15
-41.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$2.78 £2.07
-72.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$8.66 £6.46
-69.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$6.48 £4.83
-32.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.49 £1.11
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$1.75 £1.30
30.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.93 £2.18
-59.39%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$3.73 £2.78
-45.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.2K
$11.34 £8.46
56.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$8.52 £6.35
-53.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.2K
$12.90 £9.62
-5.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$2.98 £2.23
22.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.47 £1.10
3.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.91 £2.17
-23.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$3.21 £2.39
-38.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$1.55 £1.16
19.35%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.40 £1.04
72.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.92 £0.68
7.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,316
$1.50 £1.11
-66.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$24.01 £17.90
-90.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.6K
$13.89 £10.36
60.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$2.32 £1.73
-2.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.08 £2.30
-3.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,555
$3.91 £2.92
-93.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.0K
$83.8 £62.5
-90.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,975
$6.55 £4.88
-93.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,804
$4.58 £3.41
-90.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
$13.37 £9.97
-59.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$2.00 £1.49
-59.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.6M
$39.3K £29.3K
-39.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 576.1M
$40.6K £30.2K
-21.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$282 £211
-72.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
$20.55 £15.32
-68.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.1K
$46.40 £34.59
-59.96%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.9K
$44.80 £33.40
10.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.2K
$21.12 £15.75
-16.43%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
$13.18 £9.82
-67.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$1,905 £1,420
-74.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
$29.2K £21.8K
-80.59%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 810.0K
$74.5 £55.6
-40.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.2K
$67.7 £50.5
-48.37%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$115 £85.5
-30.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$109 £80.9
-26.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$1,739 £1,296
-35.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$1,361 £1,015
-50.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$2,904 £2,165
22.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$2,165 £1,614
-20.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$7,218 £5,381
-62.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$5,527 £4,121
-58.67%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Reading
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$3,446 £2,569
-95.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5
175.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Reading: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Reading
$1.4K 103% $690
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Reading
$300 4.1% $12
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Reading
$387 260% $280
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Reading
$164 52.9% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Reading
$349 236% $245
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Reading
$71 22.6% $13
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Reading
$129 1029% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,739 in Reading. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Reading are about 21 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $92 in Reading. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $300 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇬🇧 Reading
🕒 Local time
20:27 8:27 PM
12:27 12:27 PM
8 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
162,666
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,249 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Reading 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Reading

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 Reading: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ubud, Bali cheaper than Reading?
Yes – Reading is pricier by about 105%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,144 in Reading. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,125 there versus $1,739 in Reading.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Reading?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Reading, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Reading?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $92 in Reading. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in Ubud, Bali or in Reading?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $2,763 in Reading. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,349 versus $2,763 in Reading. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Reading?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reading makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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