Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Waiheke Island Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Waiheke Island

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,880 in Waiheke Island.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,912 in Waiheke Island.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,945 in Waiheke Island.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 24% less than in Waiheke Island, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Waiheke Island 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$15.13 NZ$25.76

-76.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$79.8 NZ$136

-59.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$9.87 NZ$16.81

-49.85%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.43 NZ$5.85

-20.99%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$2.33 NZ$3.97

-42.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$2.01 NZ$3.43

-65.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$7.44 NZ$12.68

-60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$6.31 NZ$10.75

-37.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.89 NZ$3.21

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$2.01 NZ$3.43

25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.90 NZ$3.24

-38.95%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$6.05 NZ$10.30

-59.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$8.24 NZ$14.04

78.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$9.78 NZ$16.66

-55.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$12.73 NZ$21.69

-4.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.77 NZ$4.72

38.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$2.18 NZ$3.72

-28.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$3.12 NZ$5.32

-9.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$4.73 NZ$8.06

-50.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.04 NZ$3.48

-6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.87 NZ$3.18

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$2.19 NZ$3.73

-53.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$1.15 NZ$1.95

-32.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$24.03 NZ$40.92

-86.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$10.87 NZ$18.51

118.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.57 NZ$4.38

8.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.54 NZ$6.03

-19.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$2.16 NZ$3.67

-87.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$63.0 NZ$107

-87.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$2.67 NZ$4.55

-82.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$1.85 NZ$3.15

-75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$34.57 NZ$58.9

-82.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.66 NZ$2.83

-52.41%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$28.6K NZ$48.7K

-8.55%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$22.1K NZ$37.6K

45.35%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$143 NZ$243

-43.96%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$36.49 NZ$62.2

-88.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$51.2 NZ$87.3

-54.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$36.26 NZ$61.8

172.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$11.89 NZ$20.25

-44.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$10.73 NZ$18.28

-61.32%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$736 NZ$1,253

-58.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

-44.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$68.8 NZ$117

-19.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$38.36 NZ$65.3

-0.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$96.3 NZ$164

-7.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$117 NZ$199

-33.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$965 NZ$1,644

4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$801 NZ$1,364

-15.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$1,596 NZ$2,718

115.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$1,422 NZ$2,421

43.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$4,714 NZ$8,028

-39.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$3,580 NZ$6,097

-36.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.74

97.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Waiheke Island: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $965 in Waiheke Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $80.0 in Waiheke Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $320 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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 Waiheke Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Waiheke Island. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $2,819 in Waiheke Island 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $965 in Waiheke Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $736 in Waiheke Island. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Waiheke Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,880 in Waiheke Island, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Waiheke Island. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,419 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Waiheke Island 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Waiheke Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.