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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $717 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,166 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,615 in Colombo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 98% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Colombo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$4.13 LKR 1,381

-13.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$25.16 LKR 8,420

30.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$8.20 LKR 2,744

-39.63%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.66 LKR 890

1.88%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.68 LKR 226

97.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.41 LKR 136

70.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$2.39 LKR 800

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$3.43 LKR 1,146

15.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.73 LKR 579

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$0.53 LKR 176

375.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.83 LKR 276

39.76%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$2.23 LKR 746

10.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$14.02 LKR 4,690

4.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$4.65 LKR 1,557

-7.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$8.01 LKR 2,681

51.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$7.37 LKR 2,466

-47.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.12 LKR 375

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$5.83 LKR 1,952

-51.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.25 LKR 417

86.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$1.14 LKR 382

67.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$1.42 LKR 475

54.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$1.14 LKR 382

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.59 LKR 198

32.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$10.01 LKR 3,351

-66.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$12.73 LKR 4,259

86.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$2.11 LKR 706

32.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$2.97 LKR 994

-3.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.14 LKR 48.45

92.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$5.09 LKR 1,702

57.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$0.38 LKR 129

21.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.33 LKR 110

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$0.60 LKR 201

916.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.26 LKR 420

-37.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-2.32%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-8.67%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$60.5 LKR 20.2K

32.13%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$4.27 LKR 1,429

-4.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$15.34 LKR 5,133

53.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$14.79 LKR 4,948

567.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$7.11 LKR 2,380

-6.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$3.28 LKR 1,096

26.52%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$37.28 LKR 12.5K

715.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$444 LKR 148.5K

1390.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$27.15 LKR 9,084

104.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$19.13 LKR 6,402

100.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

25.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.24 LKR 12.8K

103.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$379 LKR 126.9K

165.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$178 LKR 59.6K

279.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$937 LKR 313.6K

267.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$361 LKR 120.7K

465.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$3,724 LKR 1.2M

-23.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,189 LKR 397.7K

90.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$247 LKR 82.8K

-33.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.45

-19.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Colombo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $379 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $257 per month, with Colombo 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 Colombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colombo wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Colombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Colombo earns 50% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $379 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Colombo – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $717 in Colombo versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Colombo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Colombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Colombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $717 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Colombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Colombo 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 Colombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.