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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,484 in Waterloo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,441 in Waterloo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,397 in Waterloo.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 44% less than in Waterloo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Waterloo 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$28.46 €24.50

-88.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$106 €91.2

-69.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$13.90 €11.97

-64.03%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$4.85 €4.17

-41.86%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$3.53 €3.04

-60.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$3.34 €2.87

-78.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$5.76 €4.96

-48.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$5.65 €4.86

-29.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.49 €1.28

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$2.76 €2.38

-10.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$2.38 €2.05

-49.58%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$4.12 €3.55

-41.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$16.84 €14.50

-14.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$12.86 €11.07

-66.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$18.39 €15.84

-35.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$3.00 €2.58

26.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$2.37 €2.04

-31.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$2.78 €2.39

0.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$3.00 €2.58

-24.67%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.92 €1.66

4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$2.06 €1.77

7.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.38 €1.19

-22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.92 €0.79

-17.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$12.32 €10.61

-74.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$9.02 €7.77

163.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.99 €1.71

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.90 €2.50

-4.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$2.87 €2.47

-90.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$57.4 €49.39

-85.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$7.66 €6.59

-94.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$2.37 €2.04

-81.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$34.34 €29.57

-82.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.82 €1.57

-56.04%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$33.9K €29.2K

-23.85%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$36.1K €31.1K

-11.88%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$228 €196

-64.51%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$21.84 €18.80

-81.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$51.4 €44.23

-53.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$33.43 €28.79

192.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$16.70 €14.38

-60.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$14.77 €12.72

-72.65%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$612 €527

-51.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$13.5K €11.6K

-51.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$104 €89.5

-46.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$49.28 €42.44

-21.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$118 €101

-26.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$153 €132

-48.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$1,089 €938

-9.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$1,038 €893

-35.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$1,350 €1,162

155.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$1,110 €956

83.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$3,897 €3,356

-27.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$2,983 €2,569

-23.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$2,593 €2,233

-93.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.74

255.08%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Waterloo: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $1,089 in Waterloo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waterloo pays 1432% 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $106 in Waterloo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $354 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 Waterloo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 78% lower than in Waterloo. 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, Waterloo earns 1432% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,089 in Waterloo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $612 in Waterloo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Waterloo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,484 in Waterloo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Waterloo. 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 $1,394 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 Waterloo 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 78% less than in Waterloo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.