Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Reading Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Reading

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,397 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,767 in Reading, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,588 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,019 in Reading, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,778 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $5,272 in Reading, rent included.

Ubud, Bali is about 50% cheaper than Reading, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ubud, Bali and Reading sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 5%, Reading by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$26.86 £20.08

-87.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.3K

$95.4 £71.3

-66.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$10.30 £7.70

-50.97%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$4.89 £3.66

-44.58%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$3.30 £2.47

-57.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$2.83 £2.12

-73.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$8.26 £6.17

-65.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$6.97 £5.21

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.40 £1.05

27.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.38 £1.03

81.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$2.77 £2.07

-56.32%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$3.58 £2.68

-33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$10.10 £7.55

42.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$8.12 £6.07

-48.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$13.20 £9.86

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$3.06 £2.28

23.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.57 £1.18

3.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$2.86 £2.14

-5.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$3.26 £2.44

-30.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.43 £1.07

34.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.43 £1.07

53.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$0.93 £0.69

9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.56 £1.17

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$20.43 £15.27

-84.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$13.80 £10.32

72.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$2.36 £1.76

17.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$3.34 £2.50

-17.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,785

$2.65 £1.98

-89.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.7K

$85.9 £64.2

-90.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$5.99 £4.48

-91.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,544

$1.74 £1.30

-75.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$14.66 £10.96

-58.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.86 £1.39

-55.91%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$38.4K £28.7K

-30.78%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$41.2K £30.8K

-21.80%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$225 £168

-65.16%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.0K

$19.21 £14.36

-79.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$43.52 £32.52

-45.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$49.12 £36.71

95.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$19.30 £14.42

-66.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.8K

$13.85 £10.35

-71.05%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$1,923 £1,437

-84.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$25.7K £19.2K

-74.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.3K

$82.0 £61.3

-32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$48.33 £36.12

-20.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$109 £81.6

-18.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$97.9 £73.2

-21.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$1,786 £1,335

-44.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$1,411 £1,055

-51.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$3,005 £2,246

13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$2,368 £1,770

-12.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$7,149 £5,343

-61.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$5,628 £4,207

-60.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$3,502 £2,617

-95.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.53

140.14%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Reading: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,786 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 run about 1975% higher in Reading, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $95.0 in Reading. Groceries tell a different story – $298 in Ubud, Bali vs $292 in Reading – so Reading wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Yes – Reading is pricier by about 98%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,096 per month in Ubud, Bali and $4,150 in Reading. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Reading – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali and $95.0 in Reading. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,397, than in Reading at $2,767. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reading it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ubud, Bali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reading makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.