Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kottayam and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kottayam: $284 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Kottayam, India
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Kottayam
🇮🇳 India
$284
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $284 per month in Kottayam vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Kottayam $284
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $465 per month in Kottayam vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Kottayam $465
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $646 per month in Kottayam vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Kottayam $646
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Kottayam is about 79% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.07 ₹102
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
-67.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.67 ₹921
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
-72.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.21 ₹305
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
-41.95%
Cappuccino
$0.82 ₹78.5
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-69.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 ₹29.07
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-81.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 ₹11.95
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
-82.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.29 ₹123
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-51.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 ₹174
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-58.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.58 ₹54.9
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-61.07%
White Bread (500g)
$0.49 ₹46.83
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
-78.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.53 ₹50.9
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
-55.46%
Eggs
$0.85 ₹81.4
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
-58.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$2.05 ₹195
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-88.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.71 ₹353
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
-6.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.03 ₹194
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
-44.54%
Banana (1kg)
$0.56 ₹53.3
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
-63.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.88 ₹83.7
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
-60.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.50 ₹47.87
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
-74.62%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 ₹35.49
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
-80.00%
Onion (1kg)
$0.38 ₹36.29
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-84.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.63 ₹60.2
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-36.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.27 ₹25.76
$0.51 Rp 9,332
-47.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.00 ₹476
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
125.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.02 ₹382
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-81.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.62 ₹154
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-28.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 ₹210
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-25.93%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$3.38 ₹322
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 ₹27.67
$0.25 Rp 4,562
16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.84 ₹746
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
0.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.83 ₹78.6
$0.44 Rp 7,989
88.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.30 ₹29.01
$0.43 Rp 7,817
-30.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.12 ₹202
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
-60.81%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 ₹102
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
31.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.1K ₹1.1M
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
-53.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.6K ₹1.4M
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-53.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$20.71 ₹1,972
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-73.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.96 ₹282
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
-54.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.06 ₹577
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
-67.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$6.18 ₹589
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-87.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.38 ₹893
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-46.86%
Cinema Ticket
$1.75 ₹167
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
-59.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$10.45 ₹995
$491 Rp 8.9M
-97.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$516 ₹49.2K
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
-90.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.67 ₹1,778
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-58.18%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$15.82 ₹1,507
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-54.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$21.28 ₹2,026
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-73.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$12.19 ₹1,161
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-84.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$115 ₹11.0K
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-89.75%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$74.5 ₹7,096
$671 Rp 12.2M
-88.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$265 ₹25.2K
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-92.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$175 ₹16.7K
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-89.84%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$941 ₹89.6K
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-65.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$550 ₹52.4K
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-75.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kottayam
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$292 ₹27.8K
$164 Rp 3.0M
77.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
9
13.78
-34.69%

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

Last update for Kottayam: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Kottayam
$89
Ubud, Bali
$288 225% $200
Accommodation & Living
Kottayam
$75
Ubud, Bali
$672 801% $597
Eating Out
Kottayam
$40
Ubud, Bali
$108 170% $68
Clothing & Footwear
Kottayam
$31
Ubud, Bali
$108 252% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kottayam
$30
Ubud, Bali
$104 250% $74
Getting Around
Kottayam
$11
Ubud, Bali
$11 0.6% $0.1
Sport & Entertainment
Kottayam
$9.7
Ubud, Bali
$58 500% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $115 in Kottayam versus $1,125 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.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Kottayam, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $10 in Kottayam versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $89 vs $288 – making Kottayam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Kottayam
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
02:04 2:04 AM
04:34 4:34 AM
2 h 30 min ahead of Kottayam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
55,374
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.22 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Kottayam Ubud, Bali 4,740 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Kottayam
  • 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
Kottayam vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Kottayam or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali costs about 374% more than Kottayam, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Kottayam and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $427 per month in Kottayam and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Kottayam or Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kottayam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $115 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How much does it cost to live in Kottayam compared to Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $284 in Kottayam and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Kottayam about 79% cheaper.
How do childcare costs compare in Kottayam and in Ubud, Bali?
Kindergarten costs $10.45 per month in Kottayam and $491 in Ubud, Bali. 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 Kottayam or in Ubud, Bali?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Kottayam, where all-in costs run around $284, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Kottayam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Kottayam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Kottayam vs other spots: cost of living compared

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