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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,765 in Whanganui.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,744 in Whanganui.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,724 in Whanganui.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 20% less than in Whanganui, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 4% above, Whanganui 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$15.21 NZ$25.97

-76.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$72.1 NZ$123

-54.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$9.00 NZ$15.36

-46.00%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.42 NZ$5.84

-19.59%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$2.29 NZ$3.90

-42.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$1.67 NZ$2.84

-58.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$4.86 NZ$8.29

-40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$5.38 NZ$9.19

-29.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.67 NZ$2.85

2.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.55 NZ$2.65

59.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.94 NZ$3.31

-38.14%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$5.75 NZ$9.82

-57.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$7.19 NZ$12.27

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$9.00 NZ$15.37

-52.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$12.43 NZ$21.22

-1.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.46 NZ$4.20

49.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.81 NZ$3.08

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.51 NZ$4.29

11.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$3.49 NZ$5.96

-33.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$2.06 NZ$3.51

-4.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$2.16 NZ$3.69

6.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.14 NZ$3.66

-50.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.56 NZ$0.96

30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$20.04 NZ$34.21

-83.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$9.93 NZ$16.95

129.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.55 NZ$4.35

10.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.59 NZ$4.43

7.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$2.17 NZ$3.71

-86.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$63.4 NZ$108

-87.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.79 NZ$4.76

-83.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.77 NZ$3.02

-74.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$34.94 NZ$59.7

-82.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.64 NZ$2.80

-48.17%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$27.2K NZ$46.4K

-4.44%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$23.3K NZ$39.7K

36.11%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$121 NZ$207

-33.35%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$36.68 NZ$62.6

-88.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$48.84 NZ$83.4

-50.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$36.54 NZ$62.4

167.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$11.95 NZ$20.40

-46.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$7.26 NZ$12.39

-44.35%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$367 NZ$626

-17.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$12.0K NZ$20.5K

-44.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$70.5 NZ$120

-23.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$36.23 NZ$61.9

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$98.4 NZ$168

-12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$129 NZ$220

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$1,222 NZ$2,087

-19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$716 NZ$1,222

-8.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$1,559 NZ$2,662

116.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$1,355 NZ$2,314

52.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.69

98.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $72.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $281, with Whanganui 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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Whanganui. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $2,648 in Whanganui to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,222 in Whanganui. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $367 in Whanganui. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,765 in Whanganui, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Whanganui. 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 $1,404 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 Whanganui 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 26% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.