Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bali and Wattala

For one person, living is cheaper in Wattala: $574 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bali, Indonesia
Wattala, Sri Lanka
Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,187
/mo nomad
Wattala
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$574
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bali and in Wattala

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

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Bali vs $574 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Bali $1,187
  • Wattala $574

A couple spends around $2,004 per month in Bali vs $951 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Bali $2,004
  • Wattala $951

A family of three spends $2,822 per month in Bali vs $1,328 in Wattala, rent included.

  • Bali $2,822
  • Wattala $1,328

Bali costs about 107% more than Wattala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bali and Wattala are more affordable than the global median – Bali 12% lower, Wattala 58% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.80 Rp 50.7K
$3.83 LKR 1,274
-26.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$28.85 Rp 521.5K
$24.35 LKR 8,095
18.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.76 Rp 86.1K
$7.64 LKR 2,539
-37.70%
Cappuccino
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.48 LKR 824
-10.08%
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 89.9
107.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.14 LKR 711
4.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 Rp 64.2K
$3.04 LKR 1,011
16.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 Rp 25.4K
$1.59 LKR 528
-11.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.18 Rp 39.4K
$0.54 LKR 178
303.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.05 Rp 18.9K
$0.77 LKR 256
36.36%
Eggs
$1.92 Rp 34.7K
$1.64 LKR 545
17.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.84 Rp 268.3K
$14.00 LKR 4,654
6.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 69.8K
$4.75 LKR 1,581
-18.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 Rp 193.1K
$7.34 LKR 2,439
45.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 Rp 60.3K
$6.41 LKR 2,132
-47.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
$0.80 LKR 265
82.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 Rp 40.2K
$4.37 LKR 1,452
-49.20%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.80 Rp 32.6K
$1.27 LKR 422
41.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$1.05 LKR 348
63.81%
Onion (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
$0.77 LKR 256
189.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.92 Rp 16.5K
$0.95 LKR 314
-3.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 Rp 8,320
$0.43 LKR 143
6.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.06 Rp 37.2K
$10.26 LKR 3,410
-79.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.38 Rp 368.3K
$12.73 LKR 4,234
60.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 Rp 39.1K
$1.89 LKR 630
14.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.85 Rp 51.5K
$2.90 LKR 965
-1.72%
🚌 Getting Around
Bali
Wattala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,537
$0.20 LKR 66.4
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.68 Rp 157.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,968
$0.41 LKR 136
7.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,777
$0.34 LKR 113
26.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.38 Rp 97.3K
$0.89 LKR 295
504.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.85 Rp 15.3K
$1.13 LKR 376
-24.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.7K Rp 429.1M
$43.2K LKR 14.4M
-45.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.9K Rp 593.8M
$40.4K LKR 13.4M
-18.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$76.7 Rp 1.4M
$58.9 LKR 19.6K
30.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.33 Rp 114.4K
$4.18 LKR 1,391
51.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.93 Rp 342.1K
$20.89 LKR 6,946
-9.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.65 Rp 752.8K
$13.62 LKR 4,528
205.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.78 Rp 267.1K
$4.57 LKR 1,519
223.41%
Cinema Ticket
$3.58 Rp 64.7K
$2.93 LKR 974
22.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$437 Rp 7.9M
$37.76 LKR 12.6K
1056.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K Rp 199.5M
$1,202 LKR 399.6K
818.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bali
Wattala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.09 Rp 778.8K
$18.04 LKR 5,997
138.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.51 Rp 605.6K
$16.50 LKR 5,488
103.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.0 Rp 1.4M
$77.3 LKR 25.7K
-2.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.9 Rp 1.3M
$42.08 LKR 14.0K
75.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bali
Wattala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 Rp 17.3M
$104 LKR 34.6K
819.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$570 Rp 10.3M
$61.1 LKR 20.3K
832.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,028 Rp 54.7M
$241 LKR 80.2K
1155.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,446 Rp 26.1M
$178 LKR 59.1K
713.28%
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
Wattala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$215 Rp 3.9M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
12.69
8.59%

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

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Last update for Wattala: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bali
$570
Wattala
$61 89.3% $509
Groceries & Markets
Bali
$263
Wattala
$234 11.2% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bali
$102
Wattala
$84 17.6% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Bali
$101
Wattala
$69 31.7% $32
Eating Out
Bali
$89
Wattala
$104 16.4% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Bali
$49
Wattala
$19 60.1% $29
Getting Around
Bali
$12
Wattala
$2.9 * 76.3% $9.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $957 in Bali versus $104 in Wattala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Bali versus $24 in Wattala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $234 – making Wattala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Bali
🇱🇰 Wattala
🕒 Local time
10:27 10:27 AM
07:57 7:57 AM
2 h 30 min behind Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
30,200
💱 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 = 18,075 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.53 USD). 1 EUR = 20,291 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bali Wattala 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bali
  • Wattala

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 Wattala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bali or Wattala?
Bali costs about 107% more than Wattala, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. 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 Wattala?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Bali and $861 in Wattala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Bali or Wattala?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Wattala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $104 there versus $957 in Bali.
How much does it cost to live in Bali compared to Wattala?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Bali and $574 in Wattala. That makes Wattala about 52% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Bali and in Wattala?
Kindergarten costs $437 per month in Bali and $38 in Wattala. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Wattala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Bali compared to Wattala?
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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