Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pondicherry and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pondicherry: $390 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

19

Cost of Living Index in Pondicherry
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Pondicherry Living Index
65

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

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Pondicherry

🇮🇳 India

$390

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $390 in Pondicherry versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Pondicherry $390
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $585 in Pondicherry versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Pondicherry $585
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $780 in Pondicherry versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Pondicherry $780
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Pondicherry costs roughly 71% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.17 ₹302

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

-4.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.76 ₹833

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

-75.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.26 ₹405

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

-22.97%

Cappuccino

$1.70 ₹162

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

-37.50%

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

$0.43 ₹41.37

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

-74.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.14 ₹13.03

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

-81.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ₹136

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

-46.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 ₹214

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

-48.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.47 ₹44.88

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

-68.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.39 ₹37.38

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

-82.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.3

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

-42.02%

Eggs

$0.76 ₹72.0

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

-62.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 ₹414

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-75.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.68 ₹254

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

-32.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 ₹165

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

-52.73%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 ₹73.7

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

-48.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 ₹119

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

-43.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.42 ₹39.68

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

-78.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.35 ₹33.75

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

-81.08%

Onion (1kg)

$0.37 ₹34.84

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

-84.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.31 ₹29.35

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

-68.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.32 ₹30.61

$0.51 Rp 9,255

-37.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.49 ₹427

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

102.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 ₹785

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-62.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ₹134

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

-37.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₹162

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

-42.76%

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

$5.01 ₹476

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.12 ₹11.69

$0.25 Rp 4,525

-52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.23 ₹593

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

-20.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ₹98.0

$0.44 Rp 7,923

134.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.18 ₹17.04

$0.43 Rp 7,753

-58.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 ₹202

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

-60.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 ₹99.2

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

26.83%

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

$11.2K ₹1.1M

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

-52.96%

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

$18.9K ₹1.8M

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

-40.54%

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

$30.69 ₹2,918

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-61.18%

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

$3.40 ₹323

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

-47.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$6.70 ₹637

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

-63.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$7.97 ₹758

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

-83.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$1.82 ₹173

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

-57.38%

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

$36.96 ₹3,515

$491 Rp 8.8M

-92.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,353 ₹128.6K

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

-76.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.79 ₹2,358

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

-44.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.21 ₹2,018

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

-39.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.4 ₹4,979

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-34.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.33 ₹3,551

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-53.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$142 ₹13.5K

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

-87.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₹9,560

$671 Rp 12.1M

-85.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$217 ₹20.7K

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-93.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 ₹16.0K

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

-90.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$931 ₹88.5K

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

-65.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$619 ₹58.9K

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

-72.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$377 ₹35.8K

$164 Rp 3.0M

129.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.47

13.78

-38.53%

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

Last update for Pondicherry: 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

Pondicherry

$101 25.7%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 568% $571

Groceries & Markets

Pondicherry

$95 24.4%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 203% $193

Eating Out

Pondicherry

$73 18.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 48.5% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Pondicherry

$61 15.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 76.1% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pondicherry

$41 10.5%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 155% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Pondicherry

$12 3%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 400% $46

Getting Around

Pondicherry

$8.7 2.2%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 32% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in Pondicherry and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pondicherry pays about 2.3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9 in Pondicherry vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $95 vs $288 per month, with Pondicherry cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Pondicherry

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

19:50 7:50 PM

2 h 30 min ahead of Pondicherry

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,000

74,800

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.51 USD

1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 95.1 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.45 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to INR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pondicherry Ubud, Bali 4,530 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Pondicherry
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

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

Pondicherry and Ubud, Bali differ by about 246% in total monthly costs ($390 vs $1,349 including rent). Pondicherry is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Pondicherry is about 2.3 times higher, 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: $142 in Pondicherry versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $390 per month in Pondicherry versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – a 246% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pondicherry runs roughly 20% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $390 in Pondicherry versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pondicherry but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Pondicherry the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pondicherry is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Pondicherry 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 Pondicherry gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.