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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,824 in Wanaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,960 in Wanaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,096 in Wanaka.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 23% less than in Wanaka, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 4% above, Wanaka 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$12.26 NZ$20.94

-70.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$59.4 NZ$101

-45.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$9.30 NZ$15.88

-47.74%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.15 NZ$5.37

-12.70%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$1.80 NZ$3.08

-26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.95 NZ$3.33

-64.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$7.08 NZ$12.09

-58.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$5.99 NZ$10.23

-36.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-21.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.99 NZ$3.40

24.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.83 NZ$3.12

-34.43%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$5.80 NZ$9.91

-57.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$8.31 NZ$14.19

73.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$10.92 NZ$18.65

-60.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$13.15 NZ$22.46

-7.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.93 NZ$5.00

25.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$2.20 NZ$3.76

-29.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$3.32 NZ$5.67

-15.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$4.55 NZ$7.77

-48.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.92 NZ$3.28

2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.98 NZ$3.38

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.55 NZ$4.35

-58.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$1.12 NZ$1.91

-34.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$24.28 NZ$41.46

-86.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$9.16 NZ$15.64

148.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.53 NZ$4.32

11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$3.74 NZ$6.39

-25.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$2.07 NZ$3.53

-85.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$65.1 NZ$111

-87.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.65 NZ$4.53

-83.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.14 NZ$1.95

-60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$29.87 NZ$51.0

-79.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.73 NZ$2.96

-50.87%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.9K NZ$34.0K

30.54%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$26.0K NZ$44.3K

21.93%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$103 NZ$175

-21.37%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$35.41 NZ$60.5

-88.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$55.7 NZ$95.1

-56.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$41.74 NZ$71.3

134.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$11.99 NZ$20.47

-46.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$9.83 NZ$16.78

-58.90%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$576 NZ$984

-47.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$12.1K NZ$20.7K

-45.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$67.0 NZ$114

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$34.84 NZ$59.5

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$71.5 NZ$122

20.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$78.0 NZ$133

-1.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$1,046 NZ$1,787

-5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$864 NZ$1,476

-23.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$1,958 NZ$3,344

72.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$1,720 NZ$2,937

20.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$4,424 NZ$7,555

-38.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$3,790 NZ$6,472

-41.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$4,449 NZ$7,597

-96.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

232.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Wanaka: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $1,046 in Wanaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 2623% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $59.0 in Wanaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $327 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 Wanaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Wanaka. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Wanaka earns 2623% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,046 in Wanaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $576 in Wanaka. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Wanaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,824 in Wanaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Wanaka. 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 $1,404 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 Wanaka 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 30% less than in Wanaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.