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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $800 in Rustenburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,341 in Rustenburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,882 in Rustenburg.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than in Rustenburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Rustenburg is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.30 R 103

-45.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$47.97 R 786

-24.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$6.42 R 105

-11.06%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.12 R 34.68

25.94%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.90 R 14.71

94.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.48 R 7.83

81.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.59 R 25.97

85.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$2.21 R 36.15

104.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.17 R 19.18

38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.01 R 16.59

130.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.80 R 29.52

-38.33%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.77 R 45.37

-20.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$7.62 R 125

132.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$4.92 R 80.6

-16.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.32 R 104

92.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.88 R 30.72

97.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.66 R 27.23

-4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.79 R 29.39

27.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.14 R 18.70

71.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.36 R 22.25

40.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.11 R 18.20

109.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.30 R 21.27

-22.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.96 R 15.67

-42.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$3.22 R 52.7

-30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$6.09 R 99.7

278.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$0.63 R 10.37

284.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$0.91 R 14.89

229.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.94 R 15.42

-48.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.95 R 15.56

-54.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$15.05 R 247

-62.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.46 R 23.95

-45.21%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$29.5K R 482.5K

-15.33%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$27.3K R 447.2K

16.15%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$76.2 R 1,249

6.85%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$13.75 R 225

-52.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$37.01 R 606

-49.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$21.91 R 359

159.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$6.05 R 99.2

209.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$4.96 R 81.3

-8.47%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$112 R 1,831

330.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$5,636 R 92.3K

1.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$43.42 R 711

4.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$47.21 R 773

-24.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$110 R 1,808

-27.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$55.9 R 916

40.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$333 R 5,461

234.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$250 R 4,090

179.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$750 R 12.3K

384.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$520 R 8,525

233.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,117 R 18.3K

-84.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.9

39.19%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Rustenburg: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $333 in Rustenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rustenburg pays 565% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $48.00 in Rustenburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $179, 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, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 565% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $333 in Rustenburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $112 in Rustenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rustenburg – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $800 in Rustenburg versus $1,368 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 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.