Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Wellington

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,342 in Wellington, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Wellington
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$2,342
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Wellington

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Wellington actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,342 in Wellington.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,348
  • Wellington $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,316 in Wellington.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,312
  • Wellington $3,316

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,291 in Wellington.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,276
  • Wellington $4,291

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 42% less than in Wellington, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Wellington 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$13.89 NZ$24.77
-76.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.42 Rp 633.7K
$64.2 NZ$114
-44.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 Rp 103.0K
$8.95 NZ$15.97
-35.64%
Cappuccino
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
$3.29 NZ$5.86
-20.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
$2.35 NZ$4.20
-25.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$1.67 NZ$2.98
-53.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$7.24 NZ$12.91
-62.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 Rp 80.9K
$6.75 NZ$12.04
-33.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
$1.90 NZ$3.38
-19.47%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 Rp 39.3K
$2.15 NZ$3.83
2.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
$1.82 NZ$3.24
-32.97%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.3K
$6.73 NZ$12.00
-68.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.73 Rp 317.2K
$9.05 NZ$16.15
95.91%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.0K
$9.54 NZ$17.02
-59.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 Rp 215.2K
$15.30 NZ$27.29
-21.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 Rp 64.6K
$3.16 NZ$5.64
14.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$2.23 NZ$3.98
-32.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.5K
$2.97 NZ$5.29
-21.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.9K
$6.33 NZ$11.28
-68.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
$2.06 NZ$3.67
-12.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$1.24 NZ$2.20
92.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$1.99 NZ$3.55
-50.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,381
$1.19 NZ$2.13
-56.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 Rp 39.1K
$25.37 NZ$45.25
-91.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.98 Rp 411.0K
$11.37 NZ$20.28
102.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 Rp 42.9K
$3.17 NZ$5.66
-24.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
$2.76 NZ$4.92
8.70%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,258
$2.74 NZ$4.89
-91.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.99 Rp 125.1K
$102 NZ$182
-93.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,882
$1.82 NZ$3.24
-75.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,589
$1.77 NZ$3.17
-76.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.5K
$33.17 NZ$59.2
-83.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$1.83 NZ$3.27
-54.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 435.2M
$25.6K NZ$45.7K
-5.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 570.5M
$25.4K NZ$45.3K
25.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
$199 NZ$354
-59.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.58 Rp 117.7K
$32.79 NZ$58.5
-79.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.24 Rp 326.4K
$53.5 NZ$95.4
-65.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 Rp 986.2K
$38.58 NZ$68.8
42.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.51 Rp 331.2K
$16.40 NZ$29.25
12.87%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
$12.14 NZ$21.66
-65.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$486 Rp 8.7M
$1,036 NZ$1,849
-53.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
$12.9K NZ$22.9K
-55.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.18 Rp 808.3K
$78.4 NZ$140
-42.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.57 Rp 618.5K
$28.23 NZ$50.4
22.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
$103 NZ$184
-23.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
$155 NZ$276
-49.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 Rp 20.2M
$1,228 NZ$2,190
-8.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 12.1M
$1,139 NZ$2,032
-40.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
$2,171 NZ$3,873
66.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
$1,670 NZ$2,978
3.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
$6,719 NZ$12.0K
-57.89%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,307 Rp 41.3M
$3,505 NZ$6,252
-34.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Wellington
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$2,818 NZ$5,027
-94.12%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.39
155.66%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Wellington: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$674
Wellington
$1.1K 69% $465
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Wellington
$343 18.3% $53
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Wellington
$243 125% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Wellington
$164 54.2% $58
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$106
Wellington
$285 170% $179
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$64
Wellington
$63 1.2% $0.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Wellington
$124 1077% $113

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $1,228 in Wellington. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 1601% 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: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $64.0 in Wellington for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $343 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇳🇿 Wellington
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
23:40 11:40 PM
5 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
215,900 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,047 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Wellington 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Wellington

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Wellington?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 74% 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.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Wellington?
On paper, salaries run 1601% lower in Wellington. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Wellington?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,228 in Wellington. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Wellington?
Childcare runs $486 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,036 in Wellington. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Wellington?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Wellington?
At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,342 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Wellington?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Wellington?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?