Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Timaru

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,992 in Timaru, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
Learn more

Timaru Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,992 in Timaru, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Timaru $1,992

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,048 in Timaru, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Timaru $3,048

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $4,104 in Timaru, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Timaru $4,104

Ubud, Bali is about 32% cheaper than Timaru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$14.41 NZ$25.62

-76.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$61.3 NZ$109

-41.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$10.87 NZ$19.32

-49.13%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$3.29 NZ$5.85

-17.33%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$2.13 NZ$3.78

-20.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.78 NZ$3.16

-57.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$5.70 NZ$10.12

-53.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$6.12 NZ$10.87

-28.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.15 NZ$2.05

29.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.79 NZ$3.18

27.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.12 NZ$1.99

6.25%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$5.98 NZ$10.62

-65.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$8.28 NZ$14.72

113.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$9.21 NZ$16.37

-57.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$16.69 NZ$29.66

-26.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$2.93 NZ$5.21

24.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$2.42 NZ$4.29

-37.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-29.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$5.25 NZ$9.33

-62.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.86 NZ$3.30

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.85 NZ$3.29

30.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$2.32 NZ$4.13

-57.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.55 NZ$0.98

-7.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$21.06 NZ$37.44

-89.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$5.57 NZ$9.91

299.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-28.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$1.26 NZ$2.23

135.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$1.94 NZ$3.45

-87.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$110 NZ$196

-92.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-80.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$1.79 NZ$3.18

-75.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$28.93 NZ$51.4

-81.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.56 NZ$2.76

-47.44%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$28.5K NZ$50.6K

-16.29%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$22.9K NZ$40.8K

38.36%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$113 NZ$201

-30.12%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$22.85 NZ$40.63

-71.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$52.5 NZ$93.3

-64.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$39.92 NZ$71.0

23.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$11.39 NZ$20.25

-62.51%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$590 NZ$1,048

-16.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$16.1K NZ$28.6K

-64.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$59.4 NZ$106

-24.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$35.10 NZ$62.4

-0.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$91.0 NZ$162

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$137 NZ$244

-42.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$1,108 NZ$1,970

1.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$921 NZ$1,637

-27.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,790 NZ$3,182

99.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$1,674 NZ$2,975

2.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$4,547 NZ$8,083

-39.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$2,866 NZ$5,094

-20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

7.07

94.91%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Timaru: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Timaru

$921 46.2% 37.1% $249

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Timaru

$302 15.1% 4.5% $13

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Timaru

$244 12.2% 126% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Timaru

$145 7.3% 35.1% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Timaru

$188 9.5% 81.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Timaru

$63 3.2% 8.1% $4.7

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Timaru

$129 6.5% 1031% $118

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,108 in Timaru. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $61 in Timaru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $302 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇳🇿 Timaru

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

5 h ahead of Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

28,600

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,241 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Timaru 6,680 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Timaru

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 Timaru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Timaru costs about 48% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,987 in Timaru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,108 in Timaru. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $61 in Timaru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,992 in Timaru. That makes Ubud, Bali about 32% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,992 in Timaru. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $1,992 in Timaru. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.