Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Upington

For one person, living is cheaper in Upington: $1,133 a month against $1,353 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.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Upington
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Upington Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Upington

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,133 in Upington.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Upington $1,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,760 in Upington.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Upington $1,760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,388 in Upington.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Upington $2,388

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Upington is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$12.40 R 204

-73.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$37.12 R 612

-6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.69 R 93.7

0.18%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.74 R 28.68

50.57%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.04 R 17.17

65.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.76 R 12.58

6.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.73 R 28.48

53.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.82 R 46.42

54.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.89 R 14.65

76.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.25 R 20.66

75.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.65 R 27.26

-28.48%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.64 R 43.52

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$8.45 R 139

108.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$5.12 R 84.3

-26.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$7.27 R 120

64.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.04 R 33.55

76.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.71 R 28.20

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.78 R 29.35

29.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.84 R 30.29

3.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.51 R 24.81

17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.58 R 25.95

47.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.27 R 20.96

-21.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$1.02 R 16.78

-48.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.76 R 45.51

-17.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$3.73 R 61.4

491.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.28 R 21.09

83.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.75 R 28.88

70.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.74 R 28.72

-86.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.55 R 9.03

-14.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.96 R 15.86

-55.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$10.66 R 176

-48.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.50 R 24.69

-44.67%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$31.3K R 514.9K

-23.61%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$34.0K R 560.5K

-3.63%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$146 R 2,404

-45.18%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$37.98 R 626

-82.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$38.45 R 633

-51.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$27.77 R 458

94.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$12.05 R 198

51.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$6.94 R 114

-38.76%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$103 R 1,691

380.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$5,463 R 90.0K

2.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$61.2 R 1,008

-25.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$33.44 R 551

4.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$116 R 1,916

-33.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$96.9 R 1,597

-18.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$394 R 6,494

187.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$369 R 6,084

82.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$616 R 10.2K

486.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$737 R 12.1K

130.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$763 R 12.6K

256.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$736 R 12.1K

204.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$776 R 12.8K

-78.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

11.38

21.09%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Upington: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Upington

$369 32.6% 45.1% $304

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Upington

$190 16.8% 33.7% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Upington

$139 12.2% 30% $32

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Upington

$159 14% 49.1% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Upington

$222 19.6% 111% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Upington

$42 3.7% 33.5% $21

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Upington

$12 * 1.1% 0.8% $0.1

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 $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $394 in Upington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upington pays 366% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $37.00 in Upington. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $190, with Upington cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇿🇦 Upington

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

02:52 2:52 AM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

74,834

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Upington 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Upington

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 Upington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Upington wins on cost – living expenses run 19% 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, salaries run 366% lower in Upington. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $394 in Upington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,133 in Upington – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,133 in Upington versus $1,353 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 $1,133 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 19% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.