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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,828 in Whakatane.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,827 in Whakatane.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,825 in Whakatane.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 21% less than in Whakatane, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 7% above, Whakatane 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$15.03 NZ$25.55

-76.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$72.7 NZ$124

-55.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

$9.43 NZ$16.04

-46.24%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$3.44 NZ$5.85

-17.73%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$2.26 NZ$3.84

-40.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$2.29 NZ$3.89

-69.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$6.64 NZ$11.30

-54.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$6.50 NZ$11.05

-40.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$1.75 NZ$2.97

-0.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$1.00 NZ$1.70

154.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.95 NZ$3.32

-38.97%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$5.94 NZ$10.09

-59.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$7.81 NZ$13.28

87.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$9.33 NZ$15.86

-55.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$13.25 NZ$22.53

-9.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$2.61 NZ$4.43

41.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$2.21 NZ$3.76

-27.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$3.25 NZ$5.52

-17.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$4.06 NZ$6.90

-42.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$2.07 NZ$3.51

-7.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$1.63 NZ$2.78

34.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.88 NZ$3.19

-43.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$1.19 NZ$2.02

-39.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$24.89 NZ$42.31

-87.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$8.67 NZ$14.74

170.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$1.59 NZ$2.70

72.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

$1.19 NZ$2.03

142.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

$2.09 NZ$3.56

-86.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

$65.0 NZ$110

-87.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

$2.06 NZ$3.50

-78.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$1.90 NZ$3.23

-77.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$34.67 NZ$58.9

-82.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

$1.70 NZ$2.89

-50.59%

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

$27.9K NZ$47.4K

-5.94%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

$9,522 NZ$16.2K

241.09%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$127 NZ$217

-38.43%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$30.74 NZ$52.3

-87.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

$47.69 NZ$81.1

-48.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$36.89 NZ$62.7

161.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

$11.96 NZ$20.34

-46.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

$8.82 NZ$14.99

-54.20%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$920 NZ$1,565

-67.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$13.5K NZ$23.0K

-51.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

$71.5 NZ$122

-24.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

$43.49 NZ$73.9

-12.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$91.9 NZ$156

-5.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$127 NZ$216

-37.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$957 NZ$1,626

5.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

$801 NZ$1,361

-15.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

$1,591 NZ$2,705

113.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

$1,420 NZ$2,413

47.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

$4,781 NZ$8,128

-37.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

$3,447 NZ$5,859

-32.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$4,162 NZ$7,075

-95.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.37

108.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Whakatane: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $957 in Whakatane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whakatane pays 2304% 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 $73.0 in Whakatane. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $287, with Whakatane 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 Whakatane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Whakatane. 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, Whakatane earns 2304% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $957 in Whakatane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $920 in Whakatane. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whakatane pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,828 in Whakatane, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Whakatane. 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 $1,438 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 Whakatane 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 27% less than in Whakatane. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.