Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Badulla Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Badulla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $538 in Badulla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $877 in Badulla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,217 in Badulla.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 154% more expensive than in Badulla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Badulla is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$4.49 LKR 1,484

-23.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.2K

$25.54 LKR 8,445

42.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$7.77 LKR 2,570

-26.51%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$2.48 LKR 820

7.66%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.68 LKR 226

157.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.25 LKR 82.4

248.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$2.27 LKR 749

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.95 LKR 976

53.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.58 LKR 524

2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.54 LKR 178

331.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.67 LKR 222

65.67%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.63 LKR 539

34.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.9K

$13.02 LKR 4,306

35.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$3.73 LKR 1,233

9.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$7.36 LKR 2,434

65.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$6.69 LKR 2,213

-44.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$0.83 LKR 274

91.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$4.22 LKR 1,396

-45.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$1.23 LKR 408

58.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$0.99 LKR 326

92.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.80 LKR 265

191.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.87 LKR 289

16.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,791

$0.45 LKR 150

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$10.42 LKR 3,445

-78.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.3K

$13.52 LKR 4,469

70.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.89 LKR 625

28.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$2.87 LKR 948

4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,823

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,582

$0.39 LKR 128

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,693

$0.35 LKR 115

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$0.88 LKR 292

540.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.33 LKR 439

-39.85%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.5M

$36.6K LKR 12.1M

-31.82%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.6M

$40.2K LKR 13.3M

-21.12%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$55.4 LKR 18.3K

46.99%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$4.12 LKR 1,361

57.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.0K

$20.83 LKR 6,888

-9.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$4.32 LKR 1,427

5.09%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$38.72 LKR 12.8K

1141.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$1,238 LKR 409.3K

361.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.5K

$19.84 LKR 6,561

129.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.6K

$16.62 LKR 5,494

115.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 LKR 26.1K

2.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$42.27 LKR 14.0K

86.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$75.5 LKR 25.0K

1376.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$46.29 LKR 15.3K

1407.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$90.4 LKR 29.9K

1820.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$4,574 LKR 1.5M

-39.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$762 LKR 251.9K

200.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$228 LKR 75.4K

-26.37%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Badulla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $75.5 in Badulla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Badulla pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Badulla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $227 per month, with Badulla cheaper across the board.

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 Badulla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Badulla is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 154% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Badulla. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $75.5 in Badulla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $38.72 in Badulla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Badulla – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $538 in Badulla versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Badulla but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Badulla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Badulla 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, Ubud, Bali and Badulla 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 Badulla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 154% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.