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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $718 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,153 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,588 in Colombo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 96% more expensive than in Colombo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Colombo is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.07 LKR 1,366

-15.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$25.28 LKR 8,494

27.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$8.60 LKR 2,891

-43.72%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.71 LKR 909

1.48%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.69 LKR 232

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.40 LKR 136

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.27 LKR 764

31.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.27 LKR 1,099

17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.70 LKR 571

2.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.55 LKR 185

347.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.88 LKR 295

32.95%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.14 LKR 721

13.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$13.88 LKR 4,663

4.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.78 LKR 1,606

-9.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$8.09 LKR 2,717

48.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$7.65 LKR 2,571

-51.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.07 LKR 359

52.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$5.84 LKR 1,964

-53.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.25 LKR 421

79.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.14 LKR 384

68.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.36 LKR 458

67.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.20 LKR 403

-11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.56 LKR 190

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$9.99 LKR 3,358

-67.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$12.70 LKR 4,267

82.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.09 LKR 702

33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.90 LKR 974

-5.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.16 LKR 54.7

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$4.93 LKR 1,657

64.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.38 LKR 129

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.35 LKR 119

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$0.62 LKR 207

903.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.19 LKR 401

-31.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-2.10%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$34.3K LKR 11.5M

-6.06%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$59.6 LKR 20.0K

31.46%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$4.30 LKR 1,444

-5.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$15.37 LKR 5,166

58.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$14.83 LKR 4,984

564.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$7.39 LKR 2,485

-14.21%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$3.28 LKR 1,104

21.65%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$36.45 LKR 12.2K

736.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$442 LKR 148.5K

1403.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$27.73 LKR 9,320

95.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$19.12 LKR 6,426

97.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$69.2 LKR 23.2K

25.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$39.30 LKR 13.2K

94.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$368 LKR 123.6K

169.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$173 LKR 58.0K

289.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$971 LKR 326.2K

247.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$369 LKR 124.0K

455.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,586 LKR 1.2M

-21.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,156 LKR 388.5K

92.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$251 LKR 84.2K

-33.37%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Colombo: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $368 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $258 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 96% 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, salaries run 50% lower in Colombo. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $368 in Colombo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $718 in Colombo versus $1,408 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 $718 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 96% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.