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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,301 in Wakayama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,049 in Wakayama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,797 in Wakayama.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 5% more expensive than in Wakayama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Wakayama is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$6.57 ¥1,026

-47.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$32.06 ¥5,003

13.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.25 ¥819

8.76%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.54 ¥396

5.12%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.33 ¥207

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.91 ¥142

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$3.27 ¥510

-9.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.91 ¥297

136.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.61 ¥252

0.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.57 ¥245

48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$4.24 ¥661

-73.82%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.21 ¥344

-0.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$16.08 ¥2,509

10.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$7.15 ¥1,115

-42.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$17.47 ¥2,725

-30.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$8.43 ¥1,315

-55.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$3.02 ¥471

-47.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$5.23 ¥816

-56.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$7.96 ¥1,242

-75.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$4.03 ¥629

-52.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$4.72 ¥736

-50.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.15 ¥179

-12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.96 ¥150

-42.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.04 ¥630

-44.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$9.45 ¥1,475

144.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$2.68 ¥418

-9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.23 ¥348

34.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.66 ¥260

-83.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$53.4 ¥8,324

-83.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.31 ¥516

-85.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$2.95 ¥461

-85.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$16.12 ¥2,515

-65.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.12 ¥175

-28.57%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$22.4K ¥3.5M

11.46%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$15.3K ¥2.4M

107.22%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$117 ¥18.3K

-30.37%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$23.75 ¥3,706

-72.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$32.35 ¥5,048

-41.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$49.48 ¥7,720

14.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$11.54 ¥1,800

-60.66%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$597 ¥93.1K

-19.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$14.9K ¥2.3M

-61.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$52.3 ¥8,153

-12.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$36.53 ¥5,699

-1.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$63.4 ¥9,888

26.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$101 ¥15.8K

-22.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$534 ¥83.3K

108.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$312 ¥48.7K

123.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$894 ¥139.4K

306.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$726 ¥113.2K

139.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$3,717 ¥579.9K

-25.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,847 ¥288.2K

23.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$3,816 ¥595.5K

-95.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

1.66

730.12%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Wakayama: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $534 in Wakayama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wakayama pays 2172% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $32.00 in Wakayama. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $389, with Ubud, Bali 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 Wakayama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Wakayama differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,301 including rent). Wakayama is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 2172% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $534 in Wakayama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $597 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 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,301 in Wakayama versus $1,368 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 $1,301 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 5% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.