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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,015 in Soweto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,552 in Soweto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,089 in Soweto.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 37% more expensive than in Soweto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

$8.30 R 138

-56.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

$34.15 R 569

-5.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

$4.67 R 77.9

7.28%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

$2.09 R 34.75

34.93%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.99 R 16.43

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.83 R 13.76

-12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.30 R 38.37

27.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

$2.88 R 48.03

36.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

$1.16 R 19.24

53.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

$1.03 R 17.12

137.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

$1.63 R 27.08

-29.45%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

$2.51 R 41.79

-3.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

$7.74 R 129

85.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

$4.66 R 77.7

-10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

$6.51 R 108

85.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

$1.61 R 26.86

126.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.51 R 25.18

3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

$1.53 R 25.48

82.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.60 R 26.71

40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

$1.36 R 22.57

45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.17 R 19.54

94.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

$1.06 R 17.63

-0.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.95 R 15.77

-16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

$2.84 R 47.32

12.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

$5.15 R 85.9

356.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

$1.34 R 22.36

116.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

$1.61 R 26.82

71.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$1.68 R 27.95

-83.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,180

$1.14 R 18.97

-60.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,311

$0.93 R 15.50

-50.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

$3.03 R 50.4

100.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.21 R 20.22

-28.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

$19.5K R 324.7K

36.41%

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

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

$23.7K R 394.8K

37.32%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$119 R 1,988

-33.79%

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

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

$36.92 R 615

-88.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

$37.50 R 625

-36.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$31.52 R 525

213.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

$7.43 R 124

-46.03%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$196 R 3,263

51.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

$4,332 R 72.2K

52.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

$51.4 R 855

4.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

$32.16 R 536

18.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$86.4 R 1,439

2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$79.6 R 1,325

-3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$361 R 6,006

182.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$332 R 5,526

105.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

$673 R 11.2K

415.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

$696 R 11.6K

200.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$947 R 15.8K

188.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

$734 R 12.2K

212.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.51

15.38%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Soweto: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $361 in Soweto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Soweto. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $178, with Soweto 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 Soweto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soweto wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Soweto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,522 in Soweto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $361 in Soweto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $196 in Soweto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Soweto – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,015 in Soweto versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Soweto but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Soweto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Soweto delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,015 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Soweto hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Soweto 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 Soweto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.