Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Whanganui

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,854 in Whanganui, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Whanganui
🇳🇿 New Zealand
$1,854
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,854 in Whanganui.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Whanganui $1,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,785 in Whanganui.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Whanganui $2,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,715 in Whanganui.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Whanganui $3,715

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 26% less than in Whanganui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Whanganui 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$12.16 NZ$21.51
-72.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$73.2 NZ$129
-51.95%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$8.24 NZ$14.58
-29.61%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$3.30 NZ$5.83
-17.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$2.17 NZ$3.84
-24.42%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$1.97 NZ$3.49
-57.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$5.62 NZ$9.93
-51.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$5.38 NZ$9.51
-20.07%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.30 NZ$2.30
15.38%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$0.92 NZ$1.63
150.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.13 NZ$2.00
4.42%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$5.26 NZ$9.30
-59.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$5.62 NZ$9.95
211.03%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$7.40 NZ$13.08
-45.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$11.62 NZ$20.56
5.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$2.28 NZ$4.03
55.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.94 NZ$3.43
-19.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.88 NZ$3.32
19.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$3.44 NZ$6.08
-43.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$1.67 NZ$2.96
12.57%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$1.30 NZ$2.31
76.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.12 NZ$3.74
-53.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.51 NZ$0.91
3.92%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$22.63 NZ$40.02
-89.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$9.81 NZ$17.35
134.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$2.46 NZ$4.36
-4.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.26 NZ$4.00
28.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$1.79 NZ$3.17
-86.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$86.1 NZ$152
-89.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$3.58 NZ$6.34
-86.59%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$1.72 NZ$3.04
-73.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$26.21 NZ$46.36
-79.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.61 NZ$2.85
-45.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$27.0K NZ$47.7K
-8.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$22.8K NZ$40.4K
36.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$197 NZ$349
-57.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$32.22 NZ$57.0
-79.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$47.49 NZ$84.0
-60.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$38.33 NZ$67.8
45.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$5.53 NZ$9.78
-20.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$655 NZ$1,158
-24.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$22.6K NZ$40.0K
-74.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$61.8 NZ$109
-25.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$38.24 NZ$67.6
-7.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$94.0 NZ$166
-15.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$105 NZ$186
-25.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$960 NZ$1,697
19.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$828 NZ$1,464
-18.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$1,603 NZ$2,834
118.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$1,431 NZ$2,531
18.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$5,235 NZ$9,259
-46.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$3,097 NZ$5,477
-27.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Whanganui
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
6.8
102.65%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Whanganui
$828 22.5% $152
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Whanganui
$243 16.3% $47
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Whanganui
$217 99.5% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Whanganui
$277 156% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Whanganui
$135 25.3% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Whanganui
$49 23.5% $15
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Whanganui
$105 740% $93

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $960 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $73.0 in Whanganui. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $243, with Whanganui cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇳🇿 Whanganui
🕒 Local time
03:28 3:28 AM
08:28 8:28 AM
5 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
42,300
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,238 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Whanganui 6,840 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Whanganui

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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Whanganui?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 36% 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Whanganui?
You'd need roughly $2,051 in Ubud, Bali and $2,781 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Whanganui?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $960 in Whanganui. 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 Whanganui?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $655 in Whanganui. 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 Whanganui?
Shoppers in Whanganui pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Whanganui?
At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,854 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Whanganui?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,368 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 Whanganui?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Whanganui. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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