Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Badulla

For one person, living is cheaper in Badulla: $547 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Badulla
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Badulla Living Index

Jump to prices

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Badulla

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Badulla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,187 in Bali versus $547 in Badulla.

Bali $1,187
Badulla $547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,004 in Bali versus $883 in Badulla.

Bali $2,004
Badulla $883

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,822 in Bali versus $1,219 in Badulla.

Bali $2,822
Badulla $1,219

Living in Bali is roughly 117% more expensive than in Badulla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Bali 12% lower, Badulla 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

$3.84 LKR 1,275

-27.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.85 Rp 520.8K

$24.93 LKR 8,288

15.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 Rp 86.0K

$7.54 LKR 2,506

-36.87%

Cappuccino

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$2.47 LKR 823

-9.72%

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

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$0.68 LKR 227

91.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

$0.27 LKR 90.5

107.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

$2.26 LKR 752

-1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

$3.02 LKR 1,005

17.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

$1.62 LKR 539

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

$0.57 LKR 190

282.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

$0.61 LKR 203

72.13%

Eggs

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

$1.65 LKR 548

16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.84 Rp 267.9K

$15.15 LKR 5,036

-2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 69.7K

$3.70 LKR 1,230

4.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 Rp 192.9K

$7.60 LKR 2,528

40.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 Rp 60.2K

$6.61 LKR 2,198

-49.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$0.89 LKR 296

64.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 Rp 40.1K

$4.27 LKR 1,420

-48.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

$1.26 LKR 420

42.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.09 LKR 362

57.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$0.79 LKR 261

182.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

$1.22 LKR 405

-24.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 Rp 8,308

$0.46 LKR 152

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

$10.15 LKR 3,374

-79.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.38 Rp 367.8K

$13.31 LKR 4,426

53.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

$1.91 LKR 634

13.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

$2.85 LKR 947

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,531

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 Rp 156.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,956

$0.41 LKR 136

7.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,766

$0.33 LKR 111

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 Rp 97.2K

$0.87 LKR 288

518.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

$1.37 LKR 454

-37.96%

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

$23.7K Rp 428.5M

$42.8K LKR 14.2M

-44.54%

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

$32.9K Rp 592.9M

$46.1K LKR 15.3M

-28.74%

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

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$56.2 LKR 18.7K

36.45%

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

$6.33 Rp 114.2K

$4.32 LKR 1,437

46.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 Rp 341.6K

$20.66 LKR 6,870

-8.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Rp 751.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 Rp 266.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.58 Rp 64.6K

$4.39 LKR 1,460

-18.45%

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

$437 Rp 7.9M

$40.51 LKR 13.5K

978.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K Rp 199.2M

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

-37.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.09 Rp 777.7K

$18.24 LKR 6,066

136.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.51 Rp 604.8K

$17.37 LKR 5,777

92.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

$77.6 LKR 25.8K

-3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

$41.18 LKR 13.7K

79.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$957 Rp 17.3M

$76.3 LKR 25.4K

1154.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 Rp 10.3M

$44.38 LKR 14.8K

1183.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 Rp 54.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

$89.8 LKR 29.9K

1509.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 Rp 37.8M

$4,570 LKR 1.5M

-54.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,885 Rp 34.0M

$747 LKR 248.3K

152.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$215 Rp 3.9M

$222 LKR 73.6K

-2.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.5

10.24%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Badulla: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bali

$570 48%

Badulla

$44 8.1% 92.2% $525

Groceries & Markets

Bali

$263 22.2%

Badulla

$237 43.3% 10.1% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bali

$102 8.6%

Badulla

$81 14.9% 20.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Bali

$101 8.6%

Badulla

$69 12.7% 31.5% $32

Eating Out

Bali

$89 7.5%

Badulla

$104 19.1% 16.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bali

$49 4.1%

Badulla

$8.8 * 1.6% 82% $40

Getting Around

Bali

$12 1%

Badulla

$2.1 * 0.4% 83.1% $10

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 $957 in Bali and $76 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Badulla pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29 in Bali vs $25 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $237 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Bali

🇱🇰 Badulla

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

2 h 30 min behind Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bali Badulla 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bali
Badulla

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

Bali vs Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is about 54% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $957 in Bali versus $76 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $437 in Bali versus $41 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $25 versus $29 in Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $547 in Badulla versus $1,187 in Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Bali and Badulla are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.