Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Matara and Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $581 a month against $1,187 in Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Bali
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Bali Living Index

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Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$581

/mo nomad

Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Matara and in Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Matara and in Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $581 per month in Matara vs $1,187 in Bali, rent included.

Matara $581
Bali $1,187

A couple spends around $850 per month in Matara vs $2,004 in Bali, rent included.

Matara $850
Bali $2,004

A family of three spends $1,118 per month in Matara vs $2,822 in Bali, rent included.

Matara $1,118
Bali $2,822

Matara is about 51% cheaper than Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Matara and Bali are more affordable than the global median – Matara 57% lower, Bali 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 LKR 1,283

$2.80 Rp 50.6K

37.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.60 LKR 8,179

$28.85 Rp 520.8K

-14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.57 LKR 2,517

$4.76 Rp 86.0K

59.03%

Cappuccino

$2.44 LKR 813

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

9.42%

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

$0.68 LKR 225

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

-47.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 83.0

$0.56 Rp 10.2K

-55.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 LKR 751

$2.23 Rp 40.3K

1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 LKR 991

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

-16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 LKR 526

$1.41 Rp 25.4K

12.06%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 LKR 190

$2.18 Rp 39.4K

-73.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 LKR 260

$1.05 Rp 18.9K

-25.71%

Eggs

$1.45 LKR 484

$1.92 Rp 34.7K

-24.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 LKR 5,013

$14.84 Rp 267.9K

1.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.02 LKR 1,668

$3.86 Rp 69.7K

30.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.69 LKR 2,558

$10.69 Rp 192.9K

-28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.67 LKR 2,218

$3.34 Rp 60.2K

99.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.46 LKR 153

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

-68.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,385

$2.22 Rp 40.1K

87.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.80 Rp 32.6K

-53.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 LKR 322

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

-43.60%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 LKR 208

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

-72.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 LKR 419

$0.92 Rp 16.5K

36.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 LKR 153

$0.46 Rp 8,308

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.27 LKR 3,415

$2.06 Rp 37.1K

398.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.79 LKR 4,585

$20.38 Rp 367.8K

-32.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 LKR 589

$2.16 Rp 39.1K

-18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 LKR 943

$2.85 Rp 51.4K

-0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 LKR 95.2

$0.25 Rp 4,531

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.68 Rp 156.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 LKR 135

$0.44 Rp 7,956

-6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 102

$0.43 Rp 7,766

-27.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 LKR 310

$5.38 Rp 97.2K

-82.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 LKR 458

$0.85 Rp 15.3K

62.35%

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

$43.4K LKR 14.4M

$23.7K Rp 428.5M

82.80%

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

$45.7K LKR 15.2M

$32.9K Rp 592.9M

39.25%

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

$44.63 LKR 14.8K

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-41.84%

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

$4.15 LKR 1,381

$6.33 Rp 114.2K

-34.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.43 LKR 6,794

$18.93 Rp 341.6K

7.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.65 Rp 751.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.78 Rp 266.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 LKR 1,482

$3.58 Rp 64.6K

24.58%

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

$40.78 LKR 13.6K

$437 Rp 7.9M

-90.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K LKR 5.8M

$11.0K Rp 199.2M

58.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.76 LKR 5,907

$43.09 Rp 777.7K

-58.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.33 LKR 5,764

$33.51 Rp 604.8K

-48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 LKR 25.8K

$75.0 Rp 1.4M

3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.81 LKR 13.9K

$73.9 Rp 1.3M

-43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$182 LKR 60.5K

$957 Rp 17.3M

-81.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$88.6 LKR 29.4K

$570 Rp 10.3M

-84.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,028 Rp 54.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 Rp 26.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,096 Rp 37.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,885 Rp 34.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$105 LKR 35.0K

$215 Rp 3.9M

-51.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.5

13.78

-9.29%

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

Last update for Matara: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bali: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Matara

$238 40.9%

Bali

$263 22.2% 10.7% $25

Eating Out

Matara

$104 17.9%

Bali

$89 7.5% 14.1% $15

Accommodation & Living

Matara

$89 15.3%

Bali

$570 48% 543% $481

Clothing & Footwear

Matara

$69 12%

Bali

$101 8.6% 46% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Matara

$69 11.9%

Bali

$102 8.6% 47.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Matara

$8.9 * 1.5%

Bali

$49 4.1% 448% $40

Getting Around

Matara

$3.1 * 0.5%

Bali

$12 1% 297% $9.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $182 in Matara versus $957 in Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bali are about 2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Matara versus $29 in Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $263 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Matara

🇮🇩 Bali

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

18:58 6:58 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Matara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

💱 Currency

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 373 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Matara Bali 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Matara
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

Matara vs Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bali costs about 104% more than Matara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $871 per month in Matara and $1,780 in Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $182 there versus $957 in Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $581 in Matara and $1,187 in Bali. That makes Matara about 51% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $41 per month in Matara and $437 in Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $581, than in Bali at $1,187. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Matara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.