Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuwara Eliya and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $510 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index
64

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

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Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali.

Nuwara Eliya $510
Ubud, Bali $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $827 in Nuwara Eliya versus $2,255 in Ubud, Bali.

Nuwara Eliya $827
Ubud, Bali $2,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,145 in Nuwara Eliya versus $3,180 in Ubud, Bali.

Nuwara Eliya $1,145
Ubud, Bali $3,180

Living in Nuwara Eliya costs roughly 62% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Nuwara Eliya 62% lower, Ubud, Bali 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.85 LKR 1,281

$3.38 Rp 61.3K

13.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.56 LKR 8,168

$34.65 Rp 628.8K

-29.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 LKR 2,544

$5.57 Rp 101.2K

37.34%

Cappuccino

$2.43 LKR 808

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

-7.25%

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

$0.37 LKR 122

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-75.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 LKR 82.5

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

-60.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 LKR 728

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

-17.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 LKR 1,008

$4.26 Rp 77.4K

-28.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 LKR 520

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

6.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.53 LKR 175

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

-76.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 LKR 247

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

-33.33%

Eggs

$1.70 LKR 564

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

-19.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.44 LKR 5,135

$15.94 Rp 289.3K

-3.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.10 LKR 1,695

$3.88 Rp 70.5K

31.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.42 LKR 2,467

$11.40 Rp 206.9K

-34.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 LKR 2,243

$3.55 Rp 64.5K

89.86%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 LKR 279

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

-45.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.17 LKR 1,388

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

87.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 LKR 422

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

-35.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 LKR 360

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

-41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.83 LKR 276

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-65.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 LKR 403

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

18.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 LKR 150

$0.52 Rp 9,479

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.43 LKR 3,470

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

374.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 LKR 4,582

$21.79 Rp 395.4K

-36.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 LKR 643

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

-17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 LKR 989

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,544

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.37 LKR 124

$0.44 Rp 7,944

-15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 LKR 103

$0.47 Rp 8,493

-34.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$0.86 LKR 286

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

-84.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 LKR 441

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

60.24%

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

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

$24.4K Rp 443.7M

78.82%

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

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

$31.7K Rp 575.2M

43.97%

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

$56.4 LKR 18.8K

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

-27.21%

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

$4.13 LKR 1,375

$6.14 Rp 111.5K

-32.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.61 LKR 6,853

$18.92 Rp 343.3K

8.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.50 LKR 1,496

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

2.74%

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

$39.94 LKR 13.3K

$492 Rp 8.9M

-91.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

$12.2K Rp 221.8M

42.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$18.00 LKR 5,987

$45.16 Rp 819.6K

-60.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.55 LKR 5,838

$34.89 Rp 633.2K

-49.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

1.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.09 LKR 13.7K

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

-47.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

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 Nuwara Eliya: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Nuwara Eliya

$245 48.1%

Ubud, Bali

$279 21% 14.1% $35

Eating Out

Nuwara Eliya

$102 20.1%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 3.3% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nuwara Eliya

$81 15.9%

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7% 26.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Nuwara Eliya

$70 13.8%

Ubud, Bali

$106 8% 51.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Nuwara Eliya

$9 * 1.8%

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5% 564% $51

Getting Around

Nuwara Eliya

$1.9 * 0.4%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9% 522% $10

Accommodation & Living

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0%

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $25 in Nuwara Eliya vs $35 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $245 vs $279 per month, with Nuwara Eliya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

17:11 5:11 PM

19:41 7:41 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Nuwara Eliya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,500

74,800

💱 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 = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 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 4, 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18,148 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,345 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD to LKR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nuwara Eliya Ubud, Bali 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Nuwara Eliya
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

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

Nuwara Eliya is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $764 in Nuwara Eliya and $1,996 in Ubud, Bali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $40 in Nuwara Eliya versus $492 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya – a meal for two runs $25 versus $35 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nuwara Eliya but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Nuwara Eliya 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, Nuwara Eliya and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.