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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $679 in Shymkent.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,091 in Shymkent.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,503 in Shymkent.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 109% more expensive than Shymkent, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Shymkent is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$9.57 ₸4,664

-62.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$19.66 ₸9,579

66.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$6.77 ₸3,298

-26.88%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.87 ₸912

44.92%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$1.01 ₸490

32.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.44 ₸213

59.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$1.16 ₸563

151.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$1.91 ₸930

107.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.10 ₸534

64.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.30 ₸148

740.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.57 ₸767

-26.11%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.44 ₸702

70.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$7.95 ₸3,871

85.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$4.24 ₸2,066

1.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$6.50 ₸3,166

86.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.00 ₸489

284.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.84 ₸894

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.89 ₸920

49.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.02 ₸499

128.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.47 ₸231

306.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.38 ₸184

478.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.78 ₸378

29.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.64 ₸311

21.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$1.91 ₸930

73.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$3.97 ₸1,935

497.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.93 ₸454

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.38 ₸673

107.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.16 ₸77.7

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.84 ₸409

-45.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.63 ₸308

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$5.91 ₸2,879

3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.46 ₸222

71.74%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$19.8K ₸9.7M

31.88%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$24.6K ₸12.0M

30.79%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$51.1 ₸24.9K

56.59%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$8.84 ₸4,306

-54.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$12.49 ₸6,086

88.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$32.82 ₸16.0K

200.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$7.69 ₸3,748

-13.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.75 ₸2,315

-12.63%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$49.35 ₸24.0K

515.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$4,935 ₸2.4M

34.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$32.43 ₸15.8K

71.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$30.01 ₸14.6K

27.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$123 ₸59.7K

-27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$46.31 ₸22.6K

68.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$306 ₸149.1K

228.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$177 ₸86.4K

280.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$470 ₸229.2K

631.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$354 ₸172.4K

476.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,040 ₸506.5K

173.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$911 ₸443.6K

148.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$401 ₸195.1K

-58.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

19.5

-31.90%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Shymkent: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $306 in Shymkent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shymkent pays 142% 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 $20.00 in Shymkent for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $148 per month, with Shymkent 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 Shymkent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Shymkent differ by about 109% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $679 including rent). Shymkent is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Shymkent earns 142% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $306 in Shymkent. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $49.35 in Shymkent. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Shymkent – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $679 in Shymkent versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shymkent but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Shymkent the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Shymkent 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 Shymkent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.