Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dharamsala and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharamsala: $376 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

18

Cost of Living Index in Dharamsala
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Dharamsala Living Index
66

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

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Dharamsala

🇮🇳 India

$376

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $376 per month in Dharamsala vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dharamsala $376
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $571 per month in Dharamsala vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dharamsala $571
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $766 per month in Dharamsala vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dharamsala $766
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Dharamsala is about 72% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Dharamsala sits 72% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.60 ₹247

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

-19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.59 ₹1,006

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

-69.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.08 ₹292

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-45.96%

Cappuccino

$1.42 ₹135

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

-45.80%

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

$0.37 ₹35.05

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-78.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.19

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-83.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.59 ₹151

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

-40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ₹290

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

-29.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.57 ₹54.1

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-63.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 ₹49.34

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-76.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 ₹80.7

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-27.97%

Eggs

$0.94 ₹89.1

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-56.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.14 ₹488

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-70.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.89 ₹274

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-23.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

Apples (1kg)

$1.43 ₹135

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-60.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.70 ₹66.0

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-55.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 ₹97.9

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

-55.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ₹53.4

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-70.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.20 ₹18.97

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-88.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.33 ₹31.64

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-85.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.38 ₹36.22

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-62.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.61

$0.53 Rp 9,509

-39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ₹296

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

36.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.12 ₹297

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-85.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₹161

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 ₹257

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-9.40%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.16 ₹490

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₹23.72

$0.23 Rp 4,112

8.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.56 ₹718

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

-15.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 ₹98.4

$0.47 Rp 8,466

121.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₹21.84

$0.43 Rp 7,737

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.64 ₹156

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

-70.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹103

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

31.33%

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

$12.5K ₹1.2M

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

-47.71%

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

$25.3K ₹2.4M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-22.76%

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

$38.08 ₹3,616

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-52.39%

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

$2.33 ₹221

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

-64.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$2.69 ₹255

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

-85.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.18 ₹1,346

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-73.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.48 ₹615

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

-64.55%

Cinema Ticket

$3.22 ₹306

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

-24.24%

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

$59.3 ₹5,635

$493 Rp 8.9M

-87.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,424 ₹230.2K

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

-56.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.67 ₹2,628

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-39.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.50 ₹1,947

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

-41.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.8 ₹4,915

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

-33.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.26 ₹3,918

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

-47.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$96.2 ₹9,134

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-91.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$81.8 ₹7,768

$673 Rp 12.1M

-87.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$171 ₹16.2K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-95.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$129 ₹12.2K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-92.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$955 ₹90.7K

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-64.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$525 ₹49.9K

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-41.94%

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

Last update for Dharamsala: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Dharamsala

$93 24.7%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 209% $194

Accommodation & Living

Dharamsala

$82 21.8%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 723% $591

Clothing & Footwear

Dharamsala

$64 16.9%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 67.7% $43

Eating Out

Dharamsala

$63 16.8%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 68.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dharamsala

$43 11.5%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 144% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Dharamsala

$21 5.5%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 204% $42

Getting Around

Dharamsala

$11 2.9%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 15.6% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $96.2 in Dharamsala versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. 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 $11.00 in Dharamsala versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $93.0 vs $287 – making Dharamsala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Dharamsala

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:19 4:19 PM

18:49 6:49 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Dharamsala

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,543

74,800

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 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 INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dharamsala Ubud, Bali 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Dharamsala
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

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

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 260%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $564 per month in Dharamsala and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dharamsala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $376 in Dharamsala and $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 260%.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Dharamsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dharamsala, where all-in costs run around $376, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Dharamsala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dharamsala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dharamsala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.