Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kathmandu: $481 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Kathmandu
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Kathmandu Living Index
66

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

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Kathmandu

🇳🇵 Nepal

$481

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $481 in Kathmandu versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali.

Kathmandu $481
Ubud, Bali $1,348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $767 in Kathmandu versus $2,312 in Ubud, Bali.

Kathmandu $767
Ubud, Bali $2,312

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,052 in Kathmandu versus $3,276 in Ubud, Bali.

Kathmandu $1,052
Ubud, Bali $3,276

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 64% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kathmandu is 64% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 300

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

-41.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.45 NPR 3,166

$35.42 Rp 633.7K

-42.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.71 NPR 1,194

$5.76 Rp 103.0K

33.85%

Cappuccino

$1.51 NPR 233

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

-42.59%

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

$0.49 NPR 76.5

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

-71.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 NPR 24.27

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

-79.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 NPR 471

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 NPR 507

$4.52 Rp 80.9K

-27.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 118

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

-50.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 NPR 96.4

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

-71.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.85 NPR 131

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

-30.33%

Eggs

$1.65 NPR 255

$2.14 Rp 38.3K

-22.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.15 NPR 1,107

$17.73 Rp 317.2K

-59.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.18 NPR 492

$3.86 Rp 69.0K

-17.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.93 NPR 917

$12.03 Rp 215.2K

-50.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 NPR 313

$3.61 Rp 64.6K

-44.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 NPR 179

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

-23.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 NPR 222

$2.32 Rp 41.5K

-38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 82.5

$2.00 Rp 35.9K

-73.50%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 59.1

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

-79.01%

Onion (1kg)

$0.53 NPR 82.6

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

-77.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.45 NPR 69.6

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 NPR 33.95

$0.52 Rp 9,381

-57.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.48 NPR 385

$2.18 Rp 39.1K

13.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 NPR 1,212

$22.98 Rp 411.0K

-65.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 NPR 355

$2.40 Rp 42.9K

-4.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 NPR 476

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

2.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.17 NPR 26.31

$0.24 Rp 4,258

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.64 NPR 1,493

$6.99 Rp 125.1K

37.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 NPR 285

$0.44 Rp 7,882

318.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.18 NPR 183

$0.42 Rp 7,589

180.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 NPR 492

$5.45 Rp 97.5K

-41.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 NPR 207

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

58.33%

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

$28.7K NPR 4.4M

$24.3K Rp 435.2M

17.87%

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

$36.0K NPR 5.6M

$31.9K Rp 570.5M

12.94%

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

$31.63 NPR 4,896

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

-60.87%

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

$3.48 NPR 538

$6.58 Rp 117.7K

-47.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.94 NPR 1,385

$18.24 Rp 326.4K

-50.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.47 NPR 3,324

$55.1 Rp 986.2K

-61.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.71 NPR 1,039

$18.51 Rp 331.2K

-63.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.00 NPR 465

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

-29.25%

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

$66.8 NPR 10.3K

$486 Rp 8.7M

-86.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,541 NPR 857.7K

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

-2.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.59 NPR 3,807

$45.18 Rp 808.3K

-45.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.39 NPR 4,085

$34.57 Rp 618.5K

-23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.1 NPR 9,764

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

-20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$28.31 NPR 4,382

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

-63.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 NPR 33.5K

$1,127 Rp 20.2M

-80.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 NPR 15.6K

$674 Rp 12.1M

-85.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 NPR 66.5K

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

-88.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 NPR 30.6K

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

-88.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,248 NPR 348.0K

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

-20.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,338 NPR 207.2K

$2,307 Rp 41.3M

-41.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 NPR 40.9K

$166 Rp 3.0M

59.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

13.78

-29.46%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kathmandu

$144 30.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4% 101% $146

Accommodation & Living

Kathmandu

$101 21%

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6% 569% $573

Eating Out

Kathmandu

$81 16.9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 33.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Kathmandu

$64 13.4%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 66.2% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kathmandu

$44 9.2%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8% 140% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Kathmandu

$27 5.7%

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7% 132% $36

Getting Around

Kathmandu

$18 3.8%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8% 41.9% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $216 in Kathmandu and $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kathmandu pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $290 per month, with Kathmandu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇵 Kathmandu

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

18:33 6:33 PM

2 h 15 min ahead of Kathmandu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

975,000 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Nepalese Rupee NPR रु

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD

1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to NPR – Nepalese Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇵 Nepalese Rupee (रु)

Nepalese Rupee exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 155 NPR (1,000 NPR = 6.46 USD). 1 EUR = 173 NPR (1,000 NPR = 5.76 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,047 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to NPR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kathmandu Ubud, Bali 5,160 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Kathmandu
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

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

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 180% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% higher in Kathmandu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $216 in Kathmandu versus $1,127 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $481 per month in Kathmandu versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali – a 180% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $481 in Kathmandu versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $481 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kathmandu and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.