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: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $341 in Butwal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $590 in Butwal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $839 in Butwal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 303% more expensive than in Butwal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Butwal is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$1.91 NPR 293

73.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 635.6K

$19.29 NPR 2,960

83.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.9K

$6.50 NPR 998

-18.00%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.5K

$1.32 NPR 202

108.33%

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

$1.73 Rp 31.1K

$0.55 NPR 85.0

214.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.4K

$0.11 NPR 17.47

627.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 53.0K

$2.37 NPR 363

24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.9K

$1.76 NPR 270

152.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.0K

$0.68 NPR 104

120.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.3K

$0.47 NPR 72.2

389.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.8K

$0.69 NPR 106

59.42%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.9K

$1.31 NPR 202

64.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 307.4K

$7.53 NPR 1,156

126.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.8K

$3.30 NPR 507

17.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 214.4K

$6.12 NPR 939

94.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 64.1K

$2.09 NPR 321

70.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.5K

$0.77 NPR 118

105.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.5K

$1.17 NPR 179

101.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.4K

$0.59 NPR 91.0

233.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.5K

$0.42 NPR 63.8

330.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 43.0K

$0.52 NPR 79.3

359.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$0.45 NPR 68.6

126.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,841

$0.22 NPR 33.73

122.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

$2.53 NPR 388

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 401.2K

$6.57 NPR 1,008

239.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.6K

$2.28 NPR 350

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

$1.96 NPR 301

47.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,482

$0.15 NPR 23.44

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.9K

$8.10 NPR 1,244

5.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,950

$1.65 NPR 254

-73.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,598

$1.16 NPR 179

-63.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.9K

$2.59 NPR 397

118.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.7K

$1.11 NPR 170

-27.03%

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

$23.7K Rp 427.1M

$29.0K NPR 4.4M

-18.10%

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

$31.0K Rp 557.4M

$24.3K NPR 3.7M

27.46%

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

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$12.79 NPR 1,963

543.63%

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

$6.30 Rp 113.3K

$3.45 NPR 530

82.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 335.3K

$8.01 NPR 1,229

132.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 984.7K

$13.12 NPR 2,014

317.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 331.9K

$10.02 NPR 1,538

84.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 76.3K

$2.78 NPR 427

52.52%

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

$484 Rp 8.7M

$21.70 NPR 3,331

2130.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 100.6M

$789 NPR 121.1K

608.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 823.5K

$24.25 NPR 3,723

88.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 642.2K

$23.96 NPR 3,678

48.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$32.39 NPR 4,971

141.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$21.07 NPR 3,234

280.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.6M

$45.54 NPR 6,990

2417.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.2M

$27.24 NPR 4,180

2389.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 63.0M

$129 NPR 19.8K

2615.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.4M

$102 NPR 15.7K

1547.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 50.2M

$13.0K NPR 2.0M

-78.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$121 NPR 18.6K

36.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.72

41.77%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 28, 2026

Last update for Butwal: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $45.54 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: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Butwal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $135 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 303% 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 36% 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: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $45.54 in Butwal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $341 in Butwal versus $1,374 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 $341 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 303% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.