Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Swakopmund

For one person, living is cheaper in Swakopmund: $558 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Swakopmund
🇳🇦 Namibia
$558
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Swakopmund actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $558 in Swakopmund.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Swakopmund $558

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,034 in Swakopmund.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Swakopmund $1,034

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,510 in Swakopmund.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Swakopmund $1,510

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 142% more expensive than in Swakopmund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Swakopmund is 59% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$5.35 NAD 88.2
-39.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$33.92 NAD 559
2.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$3.51 NAD 57.8
62.39%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$1.68 NAD 27.68
55.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.77 NAD 12.73
123.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.57 NAD 9.47
42.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$1.26 NAD 20.72
110.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$1.61 NAD 26.46
171.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$2.16 NAD 35.61
-27.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$1.34 NAD 22.15
63.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
-
-
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$2.21 NAD 36.47
-2.26%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$7.48 NAD 123
135.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$3.38 NAD 55.7
6.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.52 NAD 24.98
4.61%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$1.98 NAD 32.54
-3.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$7.71 NAD 127
186.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$0.59 NAD 9.80
298.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$29.22 NAD 482
-69.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$0.78 NAD 12.91
-39.74%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.90 NAD 14.88
-52.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$7.18 NAD 118
-23.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.23 NAD 20.24
-32.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$52.1 NAD 859
53.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$69.1 NAD 1,138
13.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$404 NAD 6,654
180.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$232 NAD 3,816
190.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$841 NAD 13.8K
329.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$690 NAD 11.4K
146.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Swakopmund
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
0
-

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Swakopmund: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Swakopmund
–
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Swakopmund
–
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Swakopmund
–
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Swakopmund
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Swakopmund
–
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Swakopmund
–
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Swakopmund
–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $404 in Swakopmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Swakopmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $121 per month, with Swakopmund cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇳🇦 Swakopmund
🕒 Local time
12:30 12:30 PM
06:30 6:30 AM
6 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
25,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 NAD (100 NAD = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Swakopmund 10,730 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Swakopmund

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 Swakopmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Swakopmund cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Swakopmund is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 142% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $2,030 in Ubud, Bali and $838 in Swakopmund 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.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Swakopmund?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $404 in Swakopmund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Swakopmund?
Dining out is cheaper in Swakopmund – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Swakopmund runs roughly 228% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Swakopmund?
At $558 in Swakopmund versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Swakopmund but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Swakopmund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ubud, Bali or Swakopmund more family-friendly?
For families, Swakopmund 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.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Swakopmund?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Swakopmund are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Swakopmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% 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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