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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,006 in Upington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,576 in Upington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,146 in Upington.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than Upington, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Upington is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$11.14 R 183

-69.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$34.12 R 562

-3.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$4.73 R 77.9

7.40%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$1.56 R 25.63

80.77%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$0.98 R 16.17

39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.67 R 11.02

5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$1.54 R 25.40

92.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$2.58 R 42.52

51.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$0.88 R 14.49

98.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$1.11 R 18.22

127.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$1.59 R 26.17

-23.90%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$2.41 R 39.71

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$7.52 R 124

92.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$4.51 R 74.3

-3.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

$6.88 R 113

75.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$1.59 R 26.24

140.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.46 R 23.97

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.47 R 24.26

83.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$1.59 R 26.11

40.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.33 R 21.89

42.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$1.23 R 20.28

77.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$1.05 R 17.27

-1.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.90 R 14.76

-14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$2.50 R 41.13

27.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$3.76 R 61.9

517.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.39 R 22.85

105.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$1.69 R 27.88

60.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$1.61 R 26.50

-81.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$1.14 R 18.85

-57.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$0.93 R 15.34

-51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$3.96 R 65.2

58.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.24 R 20.37

-31.45%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$21.2K R 349.1K

22.95%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$23.7K R 390.5K

32.99%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$120 R 1,983

-33.76%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$35.74 R 589

-88.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$40.99 R 675

-41.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$31.12 R 513

209.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$6.74 R 111

-38.72%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$201 R 3,303

47.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$4,263 R 70.2K

56.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$50.0 R 824

9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$31.69 R 522

22.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$87.7 R 1,445

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$78.4 R 1,292

0.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$365 R 6,014

178.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$331 R 5,452

99.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$561 R 9,248

511.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$699 R 11.5K

193.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$751 R 12.4K

297.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$688 R 11.3K

244.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

$779 R 12.8K

-77.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

11.38

16.70%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Last update for Upington: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $365 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upington pays 353% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $34 in Upington. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $171, with Upington 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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Upington wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Upington the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Upington earns 353% 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $365 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,006 in Upington – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,006 in Upington versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Upington but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Upington the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Upington delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,006 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Upington hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Upington 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 Upington gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.