Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wanaka and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,368 a month against $1,666 in Wanaka, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Wanaka
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Wanaka Living Index
67

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

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Wanaka

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,666

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Wanaka and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,666 in Wanaka versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Wanaka $1,666
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,631 in Wanaka versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Wanaka $2,631
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,596 in Wanaka versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Wanaka $3,596
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Wanaka is roughly 22% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wanaka 23% above, Ubud, Bali 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.13 NZ$24.98

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

324.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 NZ$99.6

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

60.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.22 NZ$14.53

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

41.72%

Cappuccino

$3.00 NZ$5.31

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

9.89%

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

$1.69 NZ$2.99

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

3.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 NZ$3.42

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

132.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 NZ$11.56

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

141.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 NZ$10.90

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

43.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

42.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 NZ$3.38

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-16.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 NZ$3.09

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

48.31%

Eggs

$5.93 NZ$10.49

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

177.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.45 NZ$14.94

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-51.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 NZ$16.57

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

132.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.30 NZ$28.82

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 NZ$5.30

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-15.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

34.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.73

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

44.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 NZ$8.70

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

154.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 NZ$3.16

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-4.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NZ$3.21

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-20.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 NZ$3.97

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

126.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$0.53 Rp 9,475

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.98 NZ$38.87

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

864.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.05 NZ$16.00

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-60.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

31.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-57.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 NZ$10.01

$0.48 Rp 8,684

1079.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.07 NZ$49.64

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

415.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 NZ$3.18

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

104.55%

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

$25.6K NZ$45.2K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

4.13%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-20.02%

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

$110 NZ$194

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

32.35%

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

$28.11 NZ$49.71

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

335.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 NZ$92.4

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

181.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 NZ$17.86

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

130.59%

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

$591 NZ$1,045

$493 Rp 8.9M

19.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 NZ$104

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

26.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-1.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.3 NZ$121

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-13.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 NZ$130

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-5.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$970 NZ$1,716

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$793 NZ$1,403

$676 Rp 12.2M

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,852 NZ$3,275

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 NZ$2,821

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-6.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,611 NZ$9,923

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

101.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 NZ$7,597

$165 Rp 3.0M

2510.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-70.97%

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

Last update for Wanaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Wanaka

$793 47.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 14.8% $117

Groceries & Markets

Wanaka

$318 19.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 8.7% $28

Eating Out

Wanaka

$233 14%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 53.3% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wanaka

$190 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 43.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Wanaka

$106 6.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 1.6% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Wanaka

$20 * 1.2%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 220% $44

Getting Around

Wanaka

$5.7 * 0.3%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 122% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $970 in Wanaka and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wanaka pays 2511% 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: $56.0 in Wanaka vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $290 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Wanaka

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

01:58 1:58 AM

5 h behind Wanaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,600

74,800

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

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).

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).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Wanaka Ubud, Bali 6,530 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Wanaka
Ubud, Bali

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

Wanaka vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Wanaka. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2511% higher in Wanaka, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $970 in Wanaka versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Wanaka. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,666 per month in Wanaka versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,666 in Wanaka, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Wanaka. 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 $1,368 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wanaka and Ubud, Bali 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 22% less than in Wanaka. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.