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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $362 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $626 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $890 in Butwal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 289% more expensive than in Butwal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Butwal is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$1.80 NPR 278

91.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$19.28 NPR 2,973

67.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.62 NPR 1,021

-26.89%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.42 NPR 218

93.66%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.53 NPR 81.7

160.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.13 NPR 19.57

476.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.53 NPR 390

18.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.97 NPR 304

95.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.66 NPR 101

163.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.52 NPR 80.5

373.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.82 NPR 127

42.68%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.48 NPR 229

64.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$9.04 NPR 1,394

60.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.09 NPR 476

40.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.00 NPR 925

99.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.19 NPR 337

69.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.89 NPR 137

83.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.20 NPR 186

128.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.64 NPR 98.6

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.52 NPR 79.7

269.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.73 NPR 113

212.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.49 NPR 75.1

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.27 NPR 41.73

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.94 NPR 453

11.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$6.46 NPR 996

258.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.33 NPR 360

19.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.21 NPR 340

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.18 NPR 28.32

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$9.08 NPR 1,401

-10.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.80 NPR 278

-73.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.71 NPR 109

-40.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$2.87 NPR 443

116.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.28 NPR 198

-36.72%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$31.8K NPR 4.9M

-16.41%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$27.3K NPR 4.2M

18.08%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$14.46 NPR 2,230

441.84%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$4.78 NPR 736

-14.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$9.85 NPR 1,518

147.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$14.67 NPR 2,263

572.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$10.74 NPR 1,656

-40.97%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$3.07 NPR 473

29.97%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$24.37 NPR 3,758

1151.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$885 NPR 136.4K

650.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$24.59 NPR 3,792

120.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$26.81 NPR 4,135

41.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$35.86 NPR 5,530

142.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$23.79 NPR 3,669

220.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$51.0 NPR 7,862

1845.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$30.54 NPR 4,709

2102.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$146 NPR 22.5K

2215.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$113 NPR 17.3K

1722.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$13.1K NPR 2.0M

-78.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$124 NPR 19.1K

34.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

10.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Butwal: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $51.0 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ubud, Bali pays 35% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $143 per month, with Butwal 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 Butwal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butwal wins on cost – living expenses run 289% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butwal the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% higher in Ubud, Bali, 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $51.0 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Butwal – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $362 in Butwal versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butwal but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Butwal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butwal delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $362 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butwal hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Butwal 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 Butwal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 289% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.