Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sikkim and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Sikkim: $361 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Sikkim, India
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Sikkim
🇮🇳 India
$361
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $361 per month in Sikkim vs $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sikkim $361
  • Ubud, Bali $1,331

A couple spends around $582 per month in Sikkim vs $2,255 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sikkim $582
  • Ubud, Bali $2,255

A family of three spends $802 per month in Sikkim vs $3,180 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Sikkim $802
  • Ubud, Bali $3,180

Sikkim is about 73% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sikkim and Ubud, Bali are more affordable than the global median – Sikkim 73% lower, Ubud, Bali 2% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.05 ₹194
$3.38 Rp 60.9K
-39.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.64 ₹1,005
$34.65 Rp 625.4K
-69.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.71 ₹351
$5.57 Rp 100.6K
-33.39%
Cappuccino
$1.58 ₹149
$2.62 Rp 47.3K
-39.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 ₹38.29
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
-73.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 ₹12.27
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
-79.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.84 ₹174
$2.67 Rp 48.1K
-31.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 ₹278
$4.26 Rp 76.9K
-30.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.71 ₹67.4
$1.46 Rp 26.4K
-51.37%
White Bread (500g)
$0.48 ₹45.06
$2.29 Rp 41.4K
-79.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.40 ₹37.96
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
-63.96%
Eggs
$1.47 ₹139
$2.10 Rp 37.9K
-30.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.44 ₹420
$15.94 Rp 287.7K
-72.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$2.84 ₹268
$3.88 Rp 70.1K
-26.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$11.40 Rp 205.8K
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 ₹184
$3.55 Rp 64.1K
-45.35%
Banana (1kg)
$0.67 ₹63.0
$1.54 Rp 27.7K
-56.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.90 ₹85.2
$2.23 Rp 40.2K
-59.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.45 ₹42.58
$1.97 Rp 35.6K
-77.16%
Potato (1kg)
$0.45 ₹42.21
$1.86 Rp 33.5K
-75.81%
Onion (1kg)
$0.53 ₹49.80
$2.42 Rp 43.6K
-78.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.44 ₹41.41
$1.02 Rp 18.5K
-56.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.33 ₹31.20
$0.52 Rp 9,427
-36.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.42 ₹229
$2.20 Rp 39.7K
10.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.16 ₹393
$21.79 Rp 393.2K
-80.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 ₹118
$2.33 Rp 42.0K
-46.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 ₹244
$2.97 Rp 53.6K
-12.79%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
$2.72 ₹257
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.21 ₹19.80
$0.25 Rp 4,519
-16.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.10 ₹671
$8.17 Rp 147.5K
-13.10%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.82 ₹77.4
$0.44 Rp 7,901
86.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.27 ₹25.72
$0.47 Rp 8,446
-42.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.54 ₹146
$5.60 Rp 101.1K
-72.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.12 ₹106
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
34.94%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$11.4K ₹1.1M
$24.4K Rp 441.3M
-53.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.8K ₹1.9M
$31.7K Rp 572.1M
-37.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$34.33 ₹3,243
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
-55.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.28 ₹310
$6.14 Rp 110.9K
-46.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.53 ₹617
$18.92 Rp 341.4K
-65.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$14.39 ₹1,359
$51.0 Rp 920.4K
-71.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.62 ₹625
$18.25 Rp 329.4K
-63.73%
Cinema Ticket
$2.88 ₹272
$4.38 Rp 79.1K
-34.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$45.67 ₹4,314
$492 Rp 8.9M
-90.73%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,415 ₹133.6K
$12.2K Rp 220.6M
-88.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$22.01 ₹2,079
$45.16 Rp 815.1K
-51.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.30 ₹2,201
$34.89 Rp 629.7K
-33.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$39.04 ₹3,688
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
-50.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$28.82 ₹2,722
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
-62.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$120 ₹11.3K
$1,078 Rp 19.4M
-88.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$78.0 ₹7,364
$665 Rp 12.0M
-88.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$271 ₹25.6K
$3,510 Rp 63.4M
-92.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$186 ₹17.6K
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
-88.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$919 ₹86.8K
$2,340 Rp 42.2M
-60.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$528 ₹49.8K
$2,236 Rp 40.4M
-76.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sikkim
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$470 ₹44.4K
$166 Rp 3.0M
182.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.86
13.78
-35.70%

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

Last update for Sikkim: 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
Sikkim
$94
Ubud, Bali
$279 196% $185
Accommodation & Living
Sikkim
$78
Ubud, Bali
$665 753% $587
Eating Out
Sikkim
$64
Ubud, Bali
$106 66.1% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Sikkim
$51
Ubud, Bali
$106 109% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sikkim
$44
Ubud, Bali
$103 132% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Sikkim
$20
Ubud, Bali
$60 197% $40
Getting Around
Sikkim
$10
Ubud, Bali
$12 18.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $120 in Sikkim versus $1,078 in Ubud, 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 Sikkim are about 2.8 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Sikkim versus $35 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $94 vs $279 – making Sikkim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇳 Sikkim
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
15:02 3:02 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Sikkim
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
610,577
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 94.47 INR (100 INR = 1.06 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,262 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Sikkim Ubud, Bali 4,950 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Sikkim
  • 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
Sikkim vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sikkim cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 268%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $542 per month in Sikkim and $1,996 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Sikkim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $120 there versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali.
Is eating out cheaper in Sikkim or in Ubud, Bali?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Sikkim and $35 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Sikkim and in Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $361 in Sikkim and $1,331 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Sikkim about 73% cheaper.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Sikkim or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sikkim, where all-in costs run around $361, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,331. In Sikkim it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Sikkim or Ubud, Bali more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Sikkim – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Sikkim or Ubud, Bali?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Sikkim is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 73% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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