Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Anuradhapura

For one person, living is cheaper in Anuradhapura: $506 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Anuradhapura
🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
$506
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Anuradhapura

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $506 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Anuradhapura $506

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $820 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Anuradhapura $820

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,134 in Anuradhapura, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Anuradhapura $1,134

Ubud, Bali costs about 167% more than Anuradhapura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Anuradhapura is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$3.75 LKR 1,242
-13.87%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$24.57 LKR 8,139
41.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$7.52 LKR 2,490
-24.20%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$2.44 LKR 810
7.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.68 LKR 227
152.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.27 LKR 89.9
200.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$2.23 LKR 738
18.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$2.99 LKR 990
46.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.61 LKR 534
-2.48%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$0.57 LKR 189
284.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.81 LKR 269
45.68%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$1.63 LKR 541
32.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$13.86 LKR 4,590
27.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$4.92 LKR 1,630
-23.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$7.26 LKR 2,405
64.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$6.67 LKR 2,208
-46.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$0.86 LKR 286
84.88%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$4.46 LKR 1,476
-48.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$1.26 LKR 418
51.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$1.00 LKR 330
78.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$0.83 LKR 274
180.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.93 LKR 308
7.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.43 LKR 142
23.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$10.39 LKR 3,441
-77.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$13.07 LKR 4,330
68.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$1.96 LKR 648
19.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$2.90 LKR 961
2.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$0.40 LKR 134
17.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.37 LKR 123
16.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$0.88 LKR 292
521.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.34 LKR 443
-38.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$43.5K LKR 14.4M
-45.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$40.1K LKR 13.3M
-18.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$58.5 LKR 19.4K
36.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$4.23 LKR 1,401
55.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$21.09 LKR 6,984
-11.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$4.41 LKR 1,460
-3.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$38.06 LKR 12.6K
1194.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$1,224 LKR 405.4K
357.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$18.46 LKR 6,115
146.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$16.65 LKR 5,515
109.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$80.4 LKR 26.6K
-3.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$41.98 LKR 13.9K
87.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Anuradhapura
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
12.69
8.59%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Anuradhapura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Anuradhapura
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Anuradhapura
$237 17.3% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Anuradhapura
$71 33.5% $36
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Anuradhapura
$103 3.4% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Anuradhapura
$84 20.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Anuradhapura
$8.8 * 85.9% $54
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Anuradhapura
$2.3 * 81.8% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $25.00 in Anuradhapura. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $237 – making Anuradhapura the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇱🇰 Anuradhapura
🕒 Local time
18:21 6:21 PM
15:51 3:51 PM
2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
63,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Anuradhapura 4,290 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Anuradhapura

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
Ubud, Bali vs Anuradhapura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Anuradhapura compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, $506 in Anuradhapura – roughly 167% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Anuradhapura?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $759 in Anuradhapura. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $25.00 in Anuradhapura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 21% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Anuradhapura, where all-in costs run around $506, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Anuradhapura it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Anuradhapura?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $506 in Anuradhapura to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Ubud, Bali or Anuradhapura safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Ubud, Bali and Anuradhapura?
If budget matters most, go with Anuradhapura. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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