Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Whakatane

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,982 in Whakatane, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Whakatane
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Whakatane Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Whakatane

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Whakatane actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,982 in Whakatane.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Whakatane $1,982

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,919 in Whakatane.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Whakatane $2,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,856 in Whakatane.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Whakatane $3,856

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 32% less than in Whakatane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$14.21 NZ$25.23

-76.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

$67.5 NZ$120

-47.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

$8.93 NZ$15.85

-38.07%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$3.16 NZ$5.61

-13.92%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$1.99 NZ$3.53

-14.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$1.83 NZ$3.26

-58.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$6.12 NZ$10.86

-56.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

$6.32 NZ$11.21

-30.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.86 NZ$3.31

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$0.98 NZ$1.75

132.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.86 NZ$3.29

-36.02%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$5.66 NZ$10.05

-63.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

$8.46 NZ$15.02

109.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

$8.55 NZ$15.18

-53.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

$15.37 NZ$27.29

-20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

$2.43 NZ$4.31

50.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$2.15 NZ$3.82

-29.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.97 NZ$5.27

-24.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$5.73 NZ$10.18

-65.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$2.00 NZ$3.55

-7.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$1.52 NZ$2.69

59.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$2.05 NZ$3.65

-51.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,303

$1.07 NZ$1.90

-52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$27.52 NZ$48.87

-91.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

$8.66 NZ$15.37

156.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.44 NZ$2.55

56.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

$1.15 NZ$2.04

158.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,548

$1.74 NZ$3.09

-85.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

$93.8 NZ$166

-91.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,964

$2.25 NZ$4.00

-80.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,793

$2.01 NZ$3.57

-78.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

$32.50 NZ$57.7

-83.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$1.58 NZ$2.81

-48.10%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

$27.3K NZ$48.5K

-12.75%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

$9,071 NZ$16.1K

250.01%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$119 NZ$212

-33.64%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

$26.90 NZ$47.76

-76.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

$40.58 NZ$72.1

-54.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

$39.14 NZ$69.5

26.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

$8.39 NZ$14.89

-49.11%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$1,065 NZ$1,891

-53.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

$19.6K NZ$34.8K

-71.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

$66.8 NZ$119

-33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

$40.12 NZ$71.2

-12.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$85.2 NZ$151

-6.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$73.4 NZ$130

8.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$966 NZ$1,714

16.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$975 NZ$1,730

-31.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

$1,639 NZ$2,910

117.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

$1,525 NZ$2,707

13.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

$4,810 NZ$8,540

-43.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$3,305 NZ$5,868

-30.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$4,027 NZ$7,150

-95.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

5.37

156.61%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Whakatane: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Whakatane

$974 49.2% 45.1% $303

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Whakatane

$295 14.9% 2.4% $6.8

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Whakatane

$237 12% 120% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Whakatane

$119 6% 11.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Whakatane

$187 9.4% 79.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Whakatane

$56 2.8% 3.7% $2.1

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Whakatane

$113 5.7% 890% $102

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $966 in Whakatane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whakatane pays about 25 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $67 in Whakatane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $295 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇳🇿 Whakatane

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

18:32 6:32 PM

5 h ahead of Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

16,700

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 NZD = 0.563 USD

1 NZD = 0.504 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.563 USD). 1 EUR = 1.98 NZD (1 NZD = 0.504 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Whakatane 6,960 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Whakatane

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 Whakatane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 32% 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, salaries run 96% lower in Ubud, Bali. 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: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $966 in Whakatane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 92% less than in Whakatane. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,982 in Whakatane – Ubud, Bali is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Whakatane are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Whakatane on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.