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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $361 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $631 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $902 in Butwal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 293% more expensive than Butwal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Butwal is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$1.80 NPR 273

97.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$19.05 NPR 2,899

71.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$6.48 NPR 986

-23.61%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.42 NPR 216

90.85%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.53 NPR 81.3

152.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.12 NPR 17.56

483.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$2.53 NPR 385

15.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$1.96 NPR 298

102.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.66 NPR 100.0

174.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.49 NPR 74.8

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.79 NPR 120

46.84%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.48 NPR 226

66.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$8.99 NPR 1,368

63.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.20 NPR 487

35.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.16 NPR 937

97.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$2.27 NPR 345

69.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.88 NPR 134

77.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.25 NPR 190

126.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.69 NPR 105

237.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.52 NPR 79.1

267.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.73 NPR 112

201.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.49 NPR 75.1

106.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.27 NPR 41.37

188.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.86 NPR 435

16.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$6.63 NPR 1,010

258.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$2.32 NPR 353

20.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$2.21 NPR 337

29.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.19 NPR 29.36

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$8.90 NPR 1,354

-9.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.84 NPR 280

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.70 NPR 107

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.94 NPR 448

107.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.23 NPR 188

-35.77%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$32.3K NPR 4.9M

-19.12%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$27.8K NPR 4.2M

15.73%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$14.41 NPR 2,194

454.75%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$4.99 NPR 759

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$9.43 NPR 1,436

149.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$14.51 NPR 2,209

580.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$10.82 NPR 1,647

-38.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$3.15 NPR 480

31.75%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$24.23 NPR 3,688

1154.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$857 NPR 130.5K

671.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$25.18 NPR 3,833

120.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$26.89 NPR 4,092

42.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$36.37 NPR 5,536

143.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$23.88 NPR 3,635

226.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$51.6 NPR 7,860

1848.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$31.36 NPR 4,774

2053.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$144 NPR 21.9K

2295.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$114 NPR 17.4K

1686.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$13.4K NPR 2.0M

-78.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$121 NPR 18.4K

36.42%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Butwal: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $51.6 in Butwal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ubud, Bali pays 36% 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: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $145 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 293% 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.

Ubud, Bali pays 36% more on average, 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $51.6 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 109% 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $361 in Butwal versus $1,419 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 $361 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 293% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.