Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Stilbaai

For one person, living is cheaper in Stilbaai: $1,148 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Stilbaai
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,148
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Stilbaai

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Stilbaai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,148 in Stilbaai.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Stilbaai $1,148

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,832 in Stilbaai.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Stilbaai $1,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,516 in Stilbaai.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Stilbaai $2,516

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than in Stilbaai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Stilbaai is 15% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$11.91 R 196
-72.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$46.22 R 761
-23.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$6.10 R 100
-4.92%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$2.38 R 39.28
14.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$1.26 R 20.84
30.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.96 R 15.77
-13.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$2.95 R 48.65
-8.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$3.58 R 59.1
20.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.38 R 22.74
8.70%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$1.26 R 20.69
82.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$2.20 R 36.30
-46.36%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$2.97 R 48.89
-27.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$8.94 R 147
95.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$6.94 R 114
-41.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$9.58 R 158
27.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$1.92 R 31.62
84.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.94 R 32.00
-19.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.65 R 27.23
35.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$2.13 R 35.11
-9.39%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$1.55 R 25.57
21.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$1.47 R 24.20
55.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$1.28 R 21.04
-22.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$1.18 R 19.49
-55.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$3.56 R 58.7
-35.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$5.97 R 98.4
285.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.32 R 21.71
77.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.15 R 35.46
35.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$1.48 R 24.38
-83.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.59 R 9.68
-18.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.53 R 25.16
-69.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$5.07 R 83.6
7.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.52 R 25.00
-42.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$35.0K R 577.0K
-29.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$31.2K R 513.6K
0.05%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$114 R 1,883
-27.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$28.76 R 474
-77.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$39.29 R 647
-52.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$31.60 R 521
76.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$10.58 R 174
71.17%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$8.83 R 145
-50.40%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$267 R 4,405
84.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$6,885 R 113.4K
-16.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$56.3 R 928
-18.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$32.76 R 540
7.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$120 R 1,981
-34.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$105 R 1,726
-25.18%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$387 R 6,374
195.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$363 R 5,973
86.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$739 R 12.2K
373.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$742 R 12.2K
129.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$864 R 14.2K
222.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$663 R 10.9K
238.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Stilbaai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
10.97
25.62%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Stilbaai: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Stilbaai
$363 46.3% $313
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Stilbaai
$226 22.3% $65
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Stilbaai
$173 59% $64
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Stilbaai
$182 68.8% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Stilbaai
$141 31.4% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Stilbaai
$49 23.7% $15
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Stilbaai
$14 * 12.7% $1.6

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $387 in Stilbaai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $46.00 in Stilbaai. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $226, with Stilbaai cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇿🇦 Stilbaai
🕒 Local time
14:29 2:29 PM
08:29 8:29 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Stilbaai 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Stilbaai

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Stilbaai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Stilbaai?
Ubud, Bali and Stilbaai differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,148 including rent). Stilbaai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Stilbaai?
You'd need roughly $2,051 in Ubud, Bali and $1,722 in Stilbaai 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Stilbaai?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $387 in Stilbaai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Stilbaai?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $267 in Stilbaai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Stilbaai – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,148 in Stilbaai versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Stilbaai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Stilbaai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Stilbaai?
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.
Is Ubud, Bali or Stilbaai safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Stilbaai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or Stilbaai?
Expats usually find Stilbaai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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