Cost of Living Comparison Between Madurai and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Madurai and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $431 in Madurai versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $698 in Madurai versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $966 in Madurai versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Madurai costs roughly 69% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Madurai is 68% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.79 ₹172

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

-48.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.45 ₹1,102

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

-64.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 ₹489

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

4.96%

Cappuccino

$1.75 ₹169

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

-36.36%

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

$0.68 ₹65.3

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-50.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₹19.24

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.82 ₹176

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 ₹287

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

-22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.60 ₹58.2

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

-65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 ₹51.2

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-78.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.76 ₹73.0

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

-35.04%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹85.9

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

-63.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 ₹680

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

-51.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.71 ₹357

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

-14.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 ₹314

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

-12.37%

Banana (1kg)

$0.79 ₹76.4

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-51.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 ₹191

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

-27.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ₹54.3

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ₹78.3

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

-57.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 ₹75.6

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

-65.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 ₹67.7

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-33.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₹50.5

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.48 ₹431

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

36.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.82 ₹656

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-70.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 ₹213

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 ₹432

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

64.47%

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

$6.63 ₹638

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 ₹21.16

$0.27 Rp 4,778

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.71 ₹1,127

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

44.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹103

$0.48 Rp 8,659

122.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.22 ₹21.11

$0.42 Rp 7,532

-47.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 ₹110

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

-81.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₹112

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

43.21%

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

$17.8K ₹1.7M

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

-33.13%

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

$22.8K ₹2.2M

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-29.31%

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

$31.76 ₹3,058

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-59.46%

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

$3.94 ₹379

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

-3.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.60 ₹731

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

-68.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.43 ₹1,678

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-82.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.14 ₹687

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

12.62%

Cinema Ticket

$2.69 ₹259

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

-32.58%

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

$61.1 ₹5,881

$305 Rp 5.5M

-79.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,921 ₹184.9K

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

-71.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.64 ₹2,565

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

-50.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.65 ₹2,662

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

-26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.12 ₹4,729

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-43.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.08 ₹4,725

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

-35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 ₹11.2K

$992 Rp 17.8M

-88.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.8 ₹7,200

$673 Rp 12.1M

-88.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$325 ₹31.2K

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-90.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 ₹19.6K

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-90.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,195 ₹115.1K

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

-57.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$473 ₹45.6K

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

-78.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$353 ₹34.0K

$167 Rp 3.0M

111.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.8

13.28

-26.20%

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

Last update for Madurai: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $116 in Madurai and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madurai pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $11.00 in Madurai vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $136 vs $297 per month, with Madurai cheaper across the board.

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

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

Madurai and Ubud, Bali differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($431 vs $1,408 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 111% higher in Madurai, 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: $116 in Madurai versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Madurai – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $431 in Madurai versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madurai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Madurai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Madurai 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 Madurai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.