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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,354 in Wellington.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,553 in Wellington.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,751 in Wellington.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 40% less than in Wellington, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Wellington 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$17.30 NZ$29.21

-79.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$84.5 NZ$143

-61.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$9.77 NZ$16.49

-49.33%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.80 NZ$6.41

-28.68%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$2.60 NZ$4.40

-48.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$2.18 NZ$3.68

-67.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$7.03 NZ$11.88

-58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$7.45 NZ$12.59

-46.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.87 NZ$3.15

-3.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$2.11 NZ$3.56

19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.95 NZ$3.30

-40.51%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$6.88 NZ$11.62

-64.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$8.13 NZ$13.73

80.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$11.06 NZ$18.67

-60.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$13.14 NZ$22.19

-7.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$3.12 NZ$5.27

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$2.24 NZ$3.78

-30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$2.99 NZ$5.05

-5.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$4.72 NZ$7.97

-50.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$2.07 NZ$3.49

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.66 NZ$2.80

32.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$2.21 NZ$3.73

-54.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$1.28 NZ$2.17

-39.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$26.87 NZ$45.36

-87.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$11.74 NZ$19.82

102.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$3.52 NZ$5.95

-20.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$3.18 NZ$5.37

-10.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$2.75 NZ$4.64

-90.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$107 NZ$181

-92.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$2.66 NZ$4.50

-82.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$1.85 NZ$3.13

-75.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$60.4 NZ$102

-89.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.71 NZ$2.89

-53.80%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$33.6K NZ$56.7K

-22.20%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$24.6K NZ$41.5K

30.67%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$160 NZ$270

-50.10%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$32.55 NZ$55.0

-87.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$51.5 NZ$87.0

-54.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$36.79 NZ$62.1

168.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$20.60 NZ$34.78

-67.82%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$12.17 NZ$20.55

-65.90%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$800 NZ$1,351

-62.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$12.6K NZ$21.4K

-47.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$73.5 NZ$124

-24.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$53.1 NZ$89.7

-27.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$119 NZ$201

-25.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$142 NZ$239

-44.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$1,339 NZ$2,261

-24.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$1,105 NZ$1,865

-38.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$2,103 NZ$3,551

63.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$1,888 NZ$3,188

8.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$6,602 NZ$11.1K

-56.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$3,897 NZ$6,579

-41.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$3,057 NZ$5,161

-94.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.94

91.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Wellington: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $1,339 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 1750% 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 $85.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $340 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 Wellington: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Wellington. 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, Wellington earns 1750% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,339 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $800 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,354 in Wellington, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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 Wellington 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 66% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.