Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Richards Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Richards Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,016 in Richards Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,548 in Richards Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,079 in Richards Bay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 39% more expensive than in Richards Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Richards Bay is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$7.45 R 123

-53.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$27.57 R 455

17.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.08 R 83.8

-4.72%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.92 R 31.69

43.23%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.89 R 14.68

55.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.72 R 11.84

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.44 R 23.77

107.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.69 R 27.92

127.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.98 R 16.24

77.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.96 R 15.90

156.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.41 R 23.27

-17.02%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.18 R 35.91

11.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$7.52 R 124

92.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.52 R 74.6

-3.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$5.57 R 91.9

115.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.51 R 24.96

146.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.37 R 22.67

18.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.37 R 22.68

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.35 R 22.35

65.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.14 R 18.76

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.08 R 17.78

111.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.99 R 16.33

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.95 R 15.73

-24.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.46 R 40.53

33.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$4.75 R 78.3

388.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.39 R 22.99

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.69 R 27.88

61.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.61 R 26.60

-83.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$93.5 R 1,544

-91.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.67 R 27.51

-71.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.62 R 10.28

-32.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$6.82 R 113

-8.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.32 R 21.86

-38.64%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$19.8K R 326.5K

34.50%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$24.5K R 404.8K

31.24%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$130 R 2,140

-39.57%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$29.75 R 491

-86.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$33.74 R 557

-27.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$32.17 R 531

206.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$4.40 R 72.6

44.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.88 R 114

-42.01%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$92.3 R 1,523

230.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$2,445 R 40.4K

171.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$42.62 R 703

27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$19.22 R 317

96.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$86.6 R 1,430

0.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$73.6 R 1,214

3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$395 R 6,516

151.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$296 R 4,882

127.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$851 R 14.0K

296.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$601 R 9,919

241.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$349 R 5,761

703.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$524 R 8,652

324.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$1,200 R 19.8K

-86.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

12.01

10.57%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Richards Bay: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $395 in Richards Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Richards Bay pays 619% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $28.00 in Richards Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $165 per month, with Richards Bay cheaper across the board.

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 Richards Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richards Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 619% lower in Richards Bay. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $395 in Richards Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Richards Bay – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,016 in Richards Bay versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Richards Bay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Richards Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay 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 Richards Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.