Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Kataragama

For one person, living is cheaper in Kataragama: $508 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Kataragama, Sri Lanka
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Kataragama
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$508
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Kataragama

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $508 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Bali $1,187
  • Kataragama $508

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $824 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Bali $2,004
  • Kataragama $824

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,140 in Kataragama, rent included.

  • Bali $2,822
  • Kataragama $1,140

Bali costs about 134% more than Kataragama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Bali and Kataragama are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Kataragama 62% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 Rp 50.7K
$3.87 LKR 1,286
-27.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.85 Rp 522.3K
$24.70 LKR 8,212
16.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 Rp 86.2K
$7.34 LKR 2,440
-35.15%
Cappuccino
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.43 LKR 807
-8.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 Rp 23.5K
$0.67 LKR 224
94.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.56 Rp 10.2K
$0.27 LKR 90.8
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$2.23 LKR 741
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 Rp 64.3K
$3.08 LKR 1,025
15.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$1.57 LKR 522
-10.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.5K
$0.56 LKR 187
289.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$0.76 LKR 252
38.16%
Eggs
$1.92 Rp 34.8K
$1.63 LKR 543
17.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 Rp 268.7K
$15.08 LKR 5,014
-1.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.9K
$4.89 LKR 1,626
-21.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 Rp 193.4K
$7.66 LKR 2,546
39.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 Rp 60.4K
$6.54 LKR 2,173
-48.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$0.83 LKR 276
75.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.08 LKR 1,358
-45.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.7K
$1.31 LKR 437
37.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 31.1K
$1.08 LKR 360
59.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.3K
$0.83 LKR 276
168.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 Rp 16.6K
$1.24 LKR 414
-25.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,333
$0.45 LKR 150
2.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.06 Rp 37.2K
$10.29 LKR 3,421
-79.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.38 Rp 368.9K
$13.61 LKR 4,526
49.74%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 Rp 39.2K
$1.96 LKR 652
10.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rp 51.6K
$2.94 LKR 977
-3.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,544
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.68 Rp 157.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,980
$0.40 LKR 134
10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,789
$0.31 LKR 103
38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 Rp 97.5K
$0.86 LKR 285
525.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.4K
$1.34 LKR 445
-36.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 429.8M
$43.6K LKR 14.5M
-45.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K Rp 594.7M
$45.6K LKR 15.2M
-28.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
$56.8 LKR 18.9K
35.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.33 Rp 114.5K
$4.15 LKR 1,380
52.53%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.93 Rp 342.7K
$20.61 LKR 6,855
-8.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 Rp 754.0K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.78 Rp 267.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$3.58 Rp 64.8K
$4.50 LKR 1,495
-20.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$39.71 LKR 13.2K
1000.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K Rp 199.8M
$17.3K LKR 5.8M
-36.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.09 Rp 780.0K
$18.27 LKR 6,074
135.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 Rp 606.6K
$17.51 LKR 5,824
91.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$77.6 LKR 25.8K
-3.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
$41.79 LKR 13.9K
76.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Kataragama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 Rp 17.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.3M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,028 Rp 54.8M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 Rp 26.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,096 Rp 37.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,885 Rp 34.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bali
Kataragama
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 Kataragama: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$570
Kataragama
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$263
Kataragama
$242 7.9% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$102
Kataragama
$82 20% $20
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Kataragama
$70 31.2% $32
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Kataragama
$103 15.6% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$49
Kataragama
$9 * 81.6% $40
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Kataragama
$2 * 84.1% $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 $25 in Kataragama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $242 – making Kataragama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇱🇰 Kataragama
🕒 Local time
05:26 5:26 AM
02:56 2:56 AM
2 h 30 min behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
20,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,231 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 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 Kataragama 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Kataragama

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 Kataragama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Kataragama?
Bali costs about 134% more than Kataragama, 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 Kataragama?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $762 in Kataragama. 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 Kataragama?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $508 in Kataragama. That makes Kataragama about 57% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Bali and in Kataragama?
Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Bali and $40 in Kataragama. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Bali or in Kataragama?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kataragama, where all-in costs run around $508, than in Bali at $1,187. In Kataragama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Bali or Kataragama?
It depends on your priorities. Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $508 in Kataragama to $1,187 in Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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