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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,351 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,076 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,801 in Wakayama.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 3% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Wakayama 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$6.80 ¥1,071

-47.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$34.90 ¥5,498

-7.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$6.32 ¥996

-20.73%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.05 ¥481

-7.54%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$1.20 ¥190

12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.75 ¥117

-2.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$3.50 ¥552

-16.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.11 ¥333

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.61 ¥254

10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$1.78 ¥280

37.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$4.90 ¥773

-76.53%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.50 ¥394

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$17.61 ¥2,774

-18.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$7.82 ¥1,233

-46.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$15.66 ¥2,468

-22.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$9.21 ¥1,452

-60.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$2.86 ¥451

-45.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$4.75 ¥749

-41.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$9.56 ¥1,506

-76.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$3.90 ¥615

-49.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$2.68 ¥422

-14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.38 ¥218

-23.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.43 ¥225

-44.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$3.55 ¥560

-10.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$9.42 ¥1,484

149.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.80 ¥441

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.26 ¥356

22.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$1.60 ¥252

-83.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$54.4 ¥8,574

-84.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$3.56 ¥560

-87.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$2.97 ¥467

-84.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$17.13 ¥2,699

-64.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.20 ¥189

-28.33%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$23.5K ¥3.7M

12.94%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$16.9K ¥2.7M

92.48%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$140 ¥22.1K

-43.69%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$27.53 ¥4,338

-85.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$33.83 ¥5,330

-29.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$54.9 ¥8,642

80.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$14.05 ¥2,214

-54.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$12.24 ¥1,929

-67.24%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$472 ¥74.4K

-37.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$11.2K ¥1.8M

-41.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$46.42 ¥7,314

15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$32.37 ¥5,101

17.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$57.3 ¥9,029

54.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$91.6 ¥14.4K

-16.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$466 ¥73.4K

119.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$332 ¥52.3K

104.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$862 ¥135.9K

302.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$659 ¥103.8K

217.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$4,700 ¥740.6K

-41.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$2,266 ¥357.1K

1.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$3,822 ¥602.2K

-95.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

1.67

695.21%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $466 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 2235% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $35.00 in Wakayama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $410 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wakayama wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wakayama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2235% lower in Wakayama. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $466 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $472 in Wakayama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 38% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,351 in Wakayama versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Wakayama but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Wakayama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Wakayama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,351 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Wakayama hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Wakayama 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 Wakayama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.