Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jaffna and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Jaffna: $486 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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

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Jaffna

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$486

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $486 per month in Jaffna vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Jaffna $486
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $774 per month in Jaffna vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Jaffna $774
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $1,063 per month in Jaffna vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Jaffna $1,063
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Jaffna is about 64% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Jaffna sits 64% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.04 LKR 345

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

-67.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.54 LKR 13.1K

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

13.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.66 LKR 1,544

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

-18.25%

Cappuccino

$3.22 LKR 1,065

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

22.90%

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

$1.60 LKR 531

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 LKR 173

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-35.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.57 LKR 1,183

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 LKR 1,983

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

37.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.68 LKR 224

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-56.69%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 LKR 161

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

-78.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.64 LKR 212

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-45.76%

Eggs

$1.40 LKR 464

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

-35.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.45 LKR 1,474

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-74.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.20 LKR 1,058

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

-15.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.91 LKR 1,959

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-50.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 LKR 1,233

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

3.33%

Banana (1kg)

$0.50 LKR 166

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-68.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 LKR 1,016

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

32.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.48 LKR 491

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

-22.51%

Potato (1kg)

$0.99 LKR 327

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-44.38%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 205

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-73.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 LKR 207

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

-37.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 LKR 131

$0.53 Rp 9,509

-26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.67 LKR 3,865

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

409.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.26 LKR 6,047

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-17.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 LKR 848

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.23 Rp 4,112

34.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.08 LKR 1,020

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

-65.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 LKR 155

$0.47 Rp 8,466

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 LKR 75.5

$0.43 Rp 7,737

-46.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 LKR 430

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

56.63%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$45.8K LKR 15.2M

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

39.69%

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

$45.41 LKR 15.0K

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

-43.23%

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

$2.95 LKR 977

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

-55.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.97 LKR 1,977

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-88.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$1.84 LKR 609

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

-56.71%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.40 LKR 12.1K

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

-20.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 LKR 51.0K

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-86.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 LKR 45.7K

$673 Rp 12.1M

-79.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 LKR 74.2K

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-93.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 LKR 64.9K

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-88.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Jaffna: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Groceries & Markets

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Eating Out

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Getting Around

Jaffna

–

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $154 in Jaffna 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 $40.00 in Jaffna versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries tell a different story – $169 in Jaffna vs $287 in Ubud, Bali – so Jaffna wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Jaffna

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Jaffna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,000

74,800

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to LKR – Sri Lankan Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Rupee (Rs)

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 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 LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jaffna Ubud, Bali 4,400 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Jaffna
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $486 in Jaffna, $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $729 per month in Jaffna 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 Jaffna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 189% less in Jaffna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 70% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jaffna, where all-in costs run around $486, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Jaffna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $486 in Jaffna to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Jaffna. 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.