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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,693 in Whangarei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,627 in Whangarei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,561 in Whangarei.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 17% less than in Whangarei, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Whangarei 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$21.27 NZ$36.50

-83.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 579.0K

$85.1 NZ$146

-61.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$10.43 NZ$17.90

-53.60%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$4.00 NZ$6.87

-31.25%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$2.15 NZ$3.69

-35.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$1.70 NZ$2.91

-55.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.6K

$6.41 NZ$11.00

-53.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

$8.20 NZ$14.07

-53.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$1.95 NZ$3.35

-10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$2.19 NZ$3.76

12.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.99 NZ$3.41

-41.21%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$6.62 NZ$11.36

-63.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.7K

$9.81 NZ$16.84

47.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.9K

$10.71 NZ$18.38

-59.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.5K

$16.50 NZ$28.32

-27.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.6K

$3.03 NZ$5.20

22.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$2.40 NZ$4.11

-32.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$3.02 NZ$5.18

-9.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$4.48 NZ$7.68

-50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$2.54 NZ$4.36

-24.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$1.96 NZ$3.37

16.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$2.44 NZ$4.19

-56.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$1.11 NZ$1.91

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$24.06 NZ$41.29

-86.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 415.3K

$9.66 NZ$16.57

140.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

$2.37 NZ$4.07

17.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

$2.88 NZ$4.94

-5.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,768

$1.78 NZ$3.05

-84.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.1K

$140 NZ$240

-94.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,643

$3.82 NZ$6.56

-87.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,517

$1.61 NZ$2.76

-73.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.4K

$14.60 NZ$25.06

-57.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.66 NZ$2.85

-51.20%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$45.5K NZ$78.0K

-41.46%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.3M

$22.1K NZ$38.0K

45.54%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$135 NZ$232

-42.03%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$39.36 NZ$67.5

-89.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.5K

$53.6 NZ$91.9

-54.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$37.35 NZ$64.1

164.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.4K

$3.07 NZ$5.27

106.51%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.4K

$10.96 NZ$18.82

-63.59%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$775 NZ$1,331

-60.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.9M

$12.3K NZ$21.1K

-45.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 969.3K

$66.9 NZ$115

-19.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.9K

$34.30 NZ$58.9

10.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$83.2 NZ$143

4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$102 NZ$175

-25.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$545 NZ$935

82.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$471 NZ$808

42.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$1,006 NZ$1,727

235.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$769 NZ$1,320

166.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$4,338 NZ$7,445

-35.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

$3,391 NZ$5,819

-34.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$2,474 NZ$4,245

-93.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

6.7

98.21%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Whangarei: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $545 in Whangarei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 1382% 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $85.0 in Whangarei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $344 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

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 Whangarei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Whangarei. 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 1382% lower in Whangarei. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $545 in Whangarei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $775 in Whangarei. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Whangarei. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,693 in Whangarei, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Whangarei. 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 $1,408 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 Whangarei 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 20% less than in Whangarei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.