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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $979 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,499 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,018 in Rustenburg.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than in Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Rustenburg is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$11.06 R 182

-67.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$44.98 R 740

-28.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$3.94 R 64.9

27.16%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.95 R 32.03

44.62%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.90 R 14.75

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.45 R 7.45

62.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.44 R 23.63

103.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.03 R 33.39

94.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.07 R 17.53

66.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.88 R 14.52

178.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.71 R 28.16

-32.75%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.92 R 31.64

25.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$5.66 R 93.1

153.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.29 R 70.6

-2.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$6.68 R 110

80.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.61 R 26.54

126.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.33 R 21.91

18.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.29 R 21.29

116.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.56 R 25.60

43.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.79 R 12.98

150.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.76 R 12.49

200.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.05 R 17.33

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.95 R 15.65

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.49 R 41.05

28.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$4.53 R 74.7

418.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.14 R 18.80

154.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.10 R 18.09

150.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$1.14 R 18.82

-76.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$45.51 R 749

-81.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.94 R 15.42

-52.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.96 R 15.83

-52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$3.95 R 65.0

53.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.21 R 19.97

-28.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$22.6K R 371.4K

17.85%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$23.6K R 388.8K

37.81%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$68.9 R 1,133

14.77%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$12.47 R 205

-67.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$43.62 R 718

-45.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$23.59 R 388

318.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$5.71 R 94.0

11.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.45 R 73.3

-9.89%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$102 R 1,685

190.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$5,010 R 82.5K

31.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$50.1 R 824

6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$33.16 R 546

14.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$88.3 R 1,453

0.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$79.7 R 1,313

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$302 R 4,979

237.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$336 R 5,526

102.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$665 R 10.9K

421.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$565 R 9,300

269.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,309 R 21.6K

-87.50%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $302 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 700% 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 $45.00 in Rustenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 700% lower in Rustenburg. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $302 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $102 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $979 in Rustenburg versus $1,392 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 42% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.