Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Wollongong

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,467 in Wollongong, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Wollongong, Australia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Wollongong
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,467
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,467 in Wollongong.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Wollongong $2,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,619 in Wollongong.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Wollongong $3,619

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,772 in Wollongong.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Wollongong $4,772

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 45% less than in Wollongong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
$17.38 A$24.72
-80.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.0K
$83.8 A$119
-57.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
$10.66 A$15.16
-48.12%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$3.47 A$4.93
-21.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$3.03 A$4.31
-43.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$2.28 A$3.24
-66.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$7.17 A$10.20
-63.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
$7.05 A$10.03
-37.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.19 A$1.69
25.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$2.97 A$4.23
-23.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$2.21 A$3.14
-46.15%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$3.96 A$5.63
-48.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
$10.35 A$14.72
71.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
$9.43 A$13.41
-58.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.0K
$15.68 A$22.30
-22.26%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$2.91 A$4.14
25.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$2.54 A$3.61
-40.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$3.34 A$4.75
-33.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$4.71 A$6.69
-58.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$2.31 A$3.29
-19.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$2.58 A$3.67
-6.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$2.54 A$3.61
-61.02%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,306
$1.34 A$1.91
-61.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$45.34 A$64.5
-95.10%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.1K
$13.90 A$19.77
60.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$4.48 A$6.37
-49.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$4.87 A$6.92
-39.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,550
$2.35 A$3.34
-89.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
$138 A$197
-94.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,967
$3.98 A$5.66
-88.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,796
$1.56 A$2.22
-72.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
$43.53 A$61.9
-87.57%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.33 A$1.90
-38.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.1M
$28.5K A$40.6K
-16.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.5M
$24.8K A$35.2K
28.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$186 A$264
-57.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
$26.37 A$37.49
-75.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
$49.87 A$70.9
-62.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 896.9K
$61.3 A$87.2
-19.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 319.9K
$13.78 A$19.59
28.08%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$13.51 A$19.21
-68.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$2,193 A$3,119
-77.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
$20.3K A$28.8K
-72.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.1K
$70.8 A$101
-36.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 633.5K
$55.8 A$79.3
-37.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$106 A$151
-24.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$110 A$157
-28.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$1,400 A$1,991
-19.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$1,162 A$1,652
-42.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
$2,398 A$3,410
48.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
$1,833 A$2,606
-5.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$4,469 A$6,353
-38.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$3,568 A$5,073
-35.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Wollongong
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$5,107 A$7,261
-96.79%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.23
163.48%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Wollongong: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Wollongong
$1.2K 73% $490
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Wollongong
$357 23.6% $68
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Wollongong
$284 164% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Wollongong
$155 43.7% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Wollongong
$262 152% $158
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Wollongong
$88 52.2% $30
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Wollongong
$159 1296% $148

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $1,400 in Wollongong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays about 31 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $84 in Wollongong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $357 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇦🇺 Wollongong
🕒 Local time
21:05 9:05 PM
00:05 12:05 AM
3 h ahead of Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
280,153
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,125 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,227 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 AUD (1 AUD = 0.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Wollongong 4,640 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Wollongong

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 Wollongong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Wollongong?
Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Wollongong. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Wollongong?
On paper, salaries run 97% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Wollongong?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,400 in Wollongong. 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 Wollongong?
Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,193 in Wollongong. 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 Wollongong?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Wollongong. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Wollongong?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Ubud, Bali or Wollongong?
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.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Wollongong?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Wollongong are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Wollongong. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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