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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $963 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,499 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,036 in Rustenburg.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 46% more expensive than Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Rustenburg is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$11.26 R 182

-68.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$44.76 R 724

-27.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$3.82 R 61.8

27.23%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.96 R 31.73

40.31%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.89 R 14.33

48.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.45 R 7.32

55.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.44 R 23.24

102.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.08 R 33.63

82.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.11 R 17.96

54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.84 R 13.55

194.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.69 R 27.33

-28.99%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.98 R 31.96

23.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$5.60 R 90.6

156.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$4.12 R 66.6

4.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$6.87 R 111

77.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.65 R 26.61

123.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.40 R 22.58

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.30 R 21.00

114.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.52 R 24.63

53.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.81 R 13.14

143.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.79 R 12.85

192.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.08 R 17.48

-1.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.90 R 14.60

-18.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.47 R 39.91

32.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$4.57 R 73.9

398.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.11 R 17.88

153.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.09 R 17.66

155.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$1.10 R 17.72

-73.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$45.64 R 738

-82.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.97 R 15.67

-53.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.88 R 14.27

-48.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$3.96 R 64.0

57.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.22 R 19.68

-30.33%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$22.8K R 368.8K

13.89%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$24.2K R 391.4K

30.77%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$69.5 R 1,123

16.22%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$12.67 R 205

-67.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$42.61 R 689

-42.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$23.60 R 382

313.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$5.58 R 90.3

15.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.42 R 71.4

-8.60%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$105 R 1,693

190.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$4,888 R 79.0K

35.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$51.3 R 829

5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$33.88 R 548

14.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$89.3 R 1,444

-3.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$80.3 R 1,297

-4.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$309 R 5,001

218.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$342 R 5,536

92.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$662 R 10.7K

408.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$575 R 9,294

259.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$1,314 R 21.2K

-87.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.9

34.14%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $309 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 704% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $45.00 in Rustenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $158, with Rustenburg cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rustenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rustenburg is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 46% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Rustenburg earns 704% less. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $309 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $105 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $963 in Rustenburg versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Rustenburg but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Rustenburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.