Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Whangarei and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,458 in Whangarei, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. The total is higher in Whangarei despite lower rent and utilities.

71

Cost of Living Index in Whangarei
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Whangarei Living Index
66

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

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Whangarei

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,458

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Whangarei 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 Whangarei and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,458 in Whangarei versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali.

Whangarei $1,458
Ubud, Bali $1,353

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,290 in Whangarei versus $2,297 in Ubud, Bali.

Whangarei $2,290
Ubud, Bali $2,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,121 in Whangarei versus $3,241 in Ubud, Bali.

Whangarei $3,121
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Living in Whangarei is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Whangarei 8% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.15 NZ$21.49

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

276.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.0 NZ$131

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

112.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.48 NZ$14.99

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

48.77%

Cappuccino

$3.32 NZ$5.88

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

26.72%

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

$2.02 NZ$3.57

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

17.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 NZ$2.85

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

98.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.01 NZ$10.62

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

126.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 NZ$10.23

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

32.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.62

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-5.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 NZ$2.20

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-43.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

42.37%

Eggs

$5.44 NZ$9.61

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

151.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.51 NZ$9.74

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-68.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.52 NZ$13.30

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

98.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 NZ$27.04

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

27.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 NZ$4.52

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-28.89%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 NZ$3.73

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

32.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 NZ$5.13

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

25.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 NZ$5.40

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

59.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 NZ$4.04

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

28.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 NZ$3.03

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-26.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 NZ$2.93

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

66.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 NZ$2.07

$0.53 Rp 9,509

120.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.92 NZ$45.84

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

1031.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 NZ$17.35

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-55.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 NZ$3.90

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 NZ$4.85

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-8.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 NZ$3.03

$0.23 Rp 4,112

643.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 NZ$230

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

1361.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.63 NZ$6.42

$0.47 Rp 8,466

672.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 NZ$2.82

$0.43 Rp 7,737

272.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.85 NZ$24.50

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

153.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 NZ$3.07

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

109.64%

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

$28.9K NZ$51.1K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

20.96%

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

$22.0K NZ$38.9K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-32.92%

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

$149 NZ$264

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

86.47%

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

$27.61 NZ$48.83

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

320.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 NZ$88.7

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

169.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 NZ$62.5

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-34.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.85 NZ$5.04

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-84.41%

Cinema Ticket

$10.25 NZ$18.13

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

141.18%

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

$699 NZ$1,236

$493 Rp 8.9M

41.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K NZ$40.8K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

312.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.7 NZ$127

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

57.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 NZ$58.0

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-6.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 NZ$124

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-9.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 NZ$161

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

15.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 NZ$754

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-62.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$414 NZ$732

$673 Rp 12.1M

-38.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$766 NZ$1,355

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-78.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 NZ$1,307

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-56.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,260 NZ$7,535

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

56.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,263 NZ$5,770

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

45.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,346 NZ$4,149

$166 Rp 3.0M

1309.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

13.78

-58.27%

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

Last update for Whangarei: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Whangarei

$414 28.4%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 62.5% $259

Groceries & Markets

Whangarei

$275 18.9%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 4.4% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Whangarei

$227 15.6%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 53.7% $122

Eating Out

Whangarei

$219 15%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 51.3% $112

Getting Around

Whangarei

$149 10.2%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 91.6% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Whangarei

$119 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 10.8% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Whangarei

$56 3.8%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 12.2% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $426 in Whangarei and $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Whangarei pays 1310% 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: $74.0 in Whangarei vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $287, with Whangarei cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Whangarei

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

18:51 6:51 PM

5 h behind Whangarei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,300

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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Whangarei Ubud, Bali 6,680 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Whangarei
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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 8% 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.

Average pay runs 1310% higher in Whangarei, 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: $426 in Whangarei versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Whangarei versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Whangarei pay roughly 4% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,458 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 $1,353 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Whangarei 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 8% less than in Whangarei. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.