Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Bandarawela

For one person, living is cheaper in Bandarawela: $451 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Bandarawela, Sri Lanka
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Bandarawela
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Bandarawela

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 Bandarawela actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $451 in Bandarawela, rent included.

  • Bali $1,187
  • Bandarawela $451

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $743 in Bandarawela, rent included.

  • Bali $2,004
  • Bandarawela $743

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,034 in Bandarawela, rent included.

  • Bali $2,822
  • Bandarawela $1,034

Bali costs about 163% more than Bandarawela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Bali and Bandarawela are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Bandarawela 67% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 Rp 50.5K
$1.32 LKR 439
112.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.85 Rp 519.4K
$24.43 LKR 8,124
18.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 Rp 85.8K
$7.60 LKR 2,527
-37.37%
Cappuccino
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$1.49 LKR 494
49.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 Rp 23.3K
$0.61 LKR 204
113.11%
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 40.2K
$2.16 LKR 719
3.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$2.42 LKR 805
46.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 Rp 25.3K
$1.62 LKR 539
-12.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.3K
$0.34 LKR 115
541.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.8K
$0.62 LKR 206
69.35%
Eggs
$1.92 Rp 34.6K
$1.05 LKR 350
82.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 Rp 267.2K
$15.54 LKR 5,169
-4.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.5K
$3.57 LKR 1,188
8.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 Rp 192.4K
$7.77 LKR 2,583
37.58%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 Rp 60.1K
$6.75 LKR 2,245
-50.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.3K
$0.57 LKR 190
156.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.0K
$4.15 LKR 1,379
-46.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.5K
$1.28 LKR 427
40.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 30.9K
$0.86 LKR 286
100.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.1K
$0.55 LKR 183
305.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 Rp 16.5K
$1.25 LKR 417
-26.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,288
$0.42 LKR 140
9.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.06 Rp 37.0K
$9.61 LKR 3,196
-78.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.38 Rp 366.9K
$13.75 LKR 4,572
48.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 Rp 39.0K
$1.89 LKR 627
14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rp 51.3K
$2.90 LKR 965
-1.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,519
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.68 Rp 156.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,936
$0.37 LKR 124
18.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,747
$0.31 LKR 103
38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 Rp 96.9K
$0.87 LKR 291
518.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.37 LKR 455
-37.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 427.4M
$43.3K LKR 14.4M
-45.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K Rp 591.4M
$46.1K LKR 15.3M
-28.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
$56.6 LKR 18.8K
35.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.33 Rp 113.9K
$3.36 LKR 1,117
88.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.93 Rp 340.8K
$5.96 LKR 1,981
217.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 Rp 749.9K
$6.04 LKR 2,010
589.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.78 Rp 266.0K
$4.49 LKR 1,494
229.18%
Cinema Ticket
$3.58 Rp 64.4K
$2.37 LKR 787
51.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$40.60 LKR 13.5K
975.91%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K Rp 198.7M
$17.3K LKR 5.8M
-36.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.09 Rp 775.7K
$18.42 LKR 6,124
133.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 Rp 603.2K
$17.70 LKR 5,886
89.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$80.2 LKR 26.7K
-6.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
$42.25 LKR 14.1K
74.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 Rp 17.2M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.3M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,028 Rp 54.5M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 Rp 26.0M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,096 Rp 37.7M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,885 Rp 33.9M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Bandarawela
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
-
-
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 Bandarawela: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$570
Bandarawela
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$263
Bandarawela
$231 12.3% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$102
Bandarawela
$66 35.4% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Bandarawela
$71 29.7% $30
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Bandarawela
$70 21.1% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$49
Bandarawela
$11 77.9% $38
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Bandarawela
$1.9 * 84.4% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $24 in Bandarawela. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $231 – making Bandarawela the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇱🇰 Bandarawela
🕒 Local time
11:03 11:03 AM
08:33 8:33 AM
2 h 30 min behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 18,003 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.97 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Bandarawela 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Bandarawela

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 Bandarawela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Bandarawela?
Bali costs about 163% more than Bandarawela, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bali and in Bandarawela?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $677 in Bandarawela. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Bandarawela?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $451 in Bandarawela. That makes Bandarawela about 62% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Bali and in Bandarawela?
Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Bali and $41 in Bandarawela. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bali or Bandarawela?
It depends on your priorities. Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $451 in Bandarawela to $1,187 in Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How safe is Bali compared to Bandarawela?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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