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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,436 in Wellington versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,489 in Wellington versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,542 in Wellington versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Wellington is roughly 77% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wellington 77% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.34 NZ$24.66

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

330.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.3 NZ$116

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

87.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 NZ$16.72

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

72.65%

Cappuccino

$3.41 NZ$5.87

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

20.92%

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

$2.57 NZ$4.42

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

46.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 NZ$3.17

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.61 NZ$13.08

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

150.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 NZ$12.24

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

65.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

19.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 NZ$3.99

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

2.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 NZ$3.32

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

64.96%

Eggs

$7.29 NZ$12.53

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

235.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.78 NZ$16.82

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-44.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 NZ$17.27

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

148.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 NZ$27.04

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

29.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 NZ$5.51

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-11.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 NZ$3.98

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 NZ$5.42

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 NZ$11.47

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

240.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NZ$3.69

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

16.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 NZ$2.25

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-44.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 NZ$3.76

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

108.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 NZ$2.07

$0.54 Rp 9,560

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$26.36 NZ$45.33

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

1046.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 NZ$20.39

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-48.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 NZ$5.58

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

38.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 NZ$5.01

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 NZ$5.16

$0.25 Rp 4,365

1100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$108 NZ$186

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

1046.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 NZ$3.38

$0.49 Rp 8,631

302.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NZ$3.30

$0.47 Rp 8,349

308.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.88 NZ$60.0

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

522.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 NZ$3.41

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

144.44%

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

$26.0K NZ$44.7K

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

3.84%

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

$26.7K NZ$46.0K

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-13.92%

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

$206 NZ$355

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

149.40%

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

$32.99 NZ$56.7

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

408.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 NZ$96.7

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

199.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 NZ$69.3

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

-27.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 NZ$29.26

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

-6.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.98 NZ$22.31

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

201.86%

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

$1,107 NZ$1,904

$494 Rp 8.7M

124.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K NZ$23.3K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

128.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.1 NZ$138

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

72.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.15 NZ$50.1

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 NZ$185

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

33.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 NZ$280

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

106.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 NZ$2,230

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 NZ$2,080

$693 Rp 12.2M

74.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,278 NZ$3,917

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-37.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 NZ$3,024

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

2.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,004 NZ$12.0K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

153.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,701 NZ$6,364

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

61.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,914 NZ$5,009

$167 Rp 2.9M

1643.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

13.78

-60.89%

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

Last update for Wellington: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,297 in Wellington and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wellington pays 1644% 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: $67.0 in Wellington vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $294 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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Wellington. 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 1644% higher in Wellington, 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: $1,297 in Wellington versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,107 in Wellington versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Wellington. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,436 in Wellington, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Wellington. 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 $1,378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Wellington 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 77% less than in Wellington. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.