Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Worcester and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Worcester: $692 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Worcester
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Worcester Living Index
67

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

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Worcester

🇿🇦 South Africa

$692

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Worcester versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Worcester $692
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,553 in Worcester versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Worcester $1,553
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Worcester versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Worcester $2,414
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Worcester costs roughly 49% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Worcester is 49% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.00 R 82.5

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

50.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.31 R 549

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-5.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.50 R 74.1

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-22.41%

Cappuccino

$1.59 R 26.13

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-41.76%

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

$0.77 R 12.69

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-53.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 R 11.02

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-19.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 R 39.05

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 R 35.52

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-49.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 R 14.21

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-42.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 R 16.80

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-55.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.23

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

4.24%

Eggs

$1.72 R 28.28

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-19.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.65 R 143

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-50.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 R 111

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

67.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.35 R 88.2

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-56.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.90 R 31.36

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-46.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.05

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.64

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-22.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 R 34.11

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 R 11.47

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-62.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.66

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-31.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R 21.10

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

29.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.86

$0.53 Rp 9,475

115.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 R 60.7

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 101

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-73.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 R 18.55

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-51.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 R 36.33

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-24.05%

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)

$0.58 R 9.61

$0.48 Rp 8,684

20.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.35

$0.46 Rp 8,233

234.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 R 83.9

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-6.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 25.46

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

76.14%

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

$35.2K R 580.6K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

43.44%

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

$31.7K R 521.5K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

1.48%

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

$118 R 1,939

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

41.77%

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

$28.10 R 463

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

335.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.53 R 651

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

112.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 R 862

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.15 R 200

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-32.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.13 R 150

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

108.45%

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

$259 R 4,263

$493 Rp 8.9M

-47.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,943 R 114.4K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

20.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 R 918

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

20.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.41 R 534

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-8.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 R 1,984

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

52.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 R 1,782

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

37.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 R 6,494

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-65.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 R 12.9K

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-77.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$922 R 15.2K

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-45.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$981 R 16.2K

$165 Rp 3.0M

496.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.97

13.78

-20.39%

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

Last update for Worcester: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Worcester

$191 27.6%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 52.3% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Worcester

$185 26.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 41.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Worcester

$143 20.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 24.5% $35

Eating Out

Worcester

$94 13.7%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 15.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Worcester

$71 10.2%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 8.5% $6

Getting Around

Worcester

$8.3 * 1.2%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 51.6% $4.3

Accommodation & Living

Worcester

- * 0%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

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 $394 in Worcester and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Worcester pays 496% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Worcester vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $290 per month, with Worcester cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Worcester

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

15:17 3:17 PM

6 h ahead of Worcester

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

97,098

74,800

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Worcester Ubud, Bali 10,020 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Worcester
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

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

Worcester wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Worcester the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 496% higher in Worcester, 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: $394 in Worcester 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 52% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $692 per month in Worcester versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $692 in Worcester versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Worcester but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Worcester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Worcester delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $692 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Worcester hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Worcester 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 Worcester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.