Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandalay and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mandalay: $240 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Mandalay, Myanmar
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Mandalay
🇲🇲 Myanmar
$240
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $240 in Mandalay versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mandalay $240
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $415 in Mandalay versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mandalay $415
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $590 in Mandalay versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

  • Mandalay $590
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Mandalay costs roughly 82% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.97 MMK 4,117
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
-40.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$9.83 MMK 20.6K
$35.64 Rp 647.8K
-72.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
-
Cappuccino
$1.26 MMK 2,635
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
-53.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 MMK 1,827
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-48.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 MMK 2,141
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
34.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.99 MMK 2,064
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
-62.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 MMK 2,686
$4.38 Rp 79.6K
-70.78%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 MMK 2,153
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
-30.87%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 MMK 2,061
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
-57.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.54 MMK 1,127
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
-54.62%
Eggs
$1.00 MMK 2,100
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
-50.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.03 MMK 21.0K
$17.70 Rp 321.7K
-43.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.98 MMK 12.5K
$3.96 Rp 72.0K
51.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.01 MMK 14.7K
$12.19 Rp 221.6K
-42.49%
Apples (1kg)
$4.15 MMK 8,683
$3.66 Rp 66.4K
13.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 MMK 2,150
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
-32.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.26 MMK 2,645
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
-43.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.71 MMK 1,494
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
-63.96%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 MMK 2,789
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
-28.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.17 MMK 2,457
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
-51.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.38 MMK 806
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
-61.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.31 MMK 650
$0.51 Rp 9,332
-39.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.02 MMK 2,145
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
-54.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.91 MMK 10.3K
$22.24 Rp 404.2K
-77.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MMK 1,242
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
-73.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.25 Rp 4,562
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$7.82 Rp 142.2K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.44 Rp 7,989
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 MMK 868
$0.43 Rp 7,817
-4.65%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.90 MMK 8,170
$5.41 Rp 98.3K
-27.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$23.8K Rp 433.3M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$31.7K Rp 577.0M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.79 MMK 14.2K
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
5.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$18.58 Rp 337.7K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.71 MMK 37.1K
$49.48 Rp 899.4K
-64.21%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.65 Rp 320.8K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$241 MMK 504.3K
$491 Rp 8.9M
-50.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,733 MMK 12.0M
$5,674 Rp 103.1M
1.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$44.64 Rp 811.4K
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$34.95 Rp 635.3K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$199 MMK 416.9K
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-82.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$671 Rp 12.2M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$298 MMK 624.5K
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
-91.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Mandalay
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$204 MMK 427.0K
$164 Rp 3.0M
24.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
13.78
-

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

Last update for Mandalay: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$672
Groceries & Markets
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$288
Eating Out
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$108
Clothing & Footwear
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$104
Sport & Entertainment
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$58
Getting Around
Mandalay
–
Ubud, Bali
$11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $199 in Mandalay and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandalay pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $10 in Mandalay vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $288 per month, with Mandalay cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇲 Mandalay
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
07:52 7:52 AM
09:22 9:22 AM
1 h 30 min ahead of Mandalay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,208,099
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MMK – Myanmar Kyat Converter

Myanmar Kyat exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,094 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.78 USD). 1 EUR = 2,331 MMK (10,000 MMK = 4.29 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 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
  • Mandalay Ubud, Bali 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Mandalay
  • 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
Mandalay vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Mandalay or Ubud, Bali?
Mandalay wins on cost – living expenses run 82% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Mandalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Mandalay or in Ubud, Bali?
Average pay runs 24% higher in Mandalay, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Mandalay compared to Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $199 in Mandalay versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Mandalay or in Ubud, Bali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Mandalay compared to Ubud, Bali?
All in, you’ll spend $240 per month in Mandalay versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Mandalay is about 82% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $800/month in Mandalay or in Ubud, Bali?
At $240 in Mandalay versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $800 budget is realistic in Mandalay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Mandalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Mandalay or Ubud, Bali?
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.

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