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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $710 in Colombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,161 in Colombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,612 in Colombo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 97% more expensive than Colombo, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Colombo is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$3.93 LKR 1,242

-11.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$24.89 LKR 7,861

32.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$8.60 LKR 2,717

-40.81%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.63 LKR 831

4.56%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.69 LKR 219

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.40 LKR 127

77.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$2.27 LKR 718

26.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$3.38 LKR 1,067

14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.77 LKR 560

1.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$0.57 LKR 179

329.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.83 LKR 262

45.78%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$2.12 LKR 669

12.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$13.85 LKR 4,375

6.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$4.64 LKR 1,464

-8.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$7.98 LKR 2,519

51.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$7.39 LKR 2,333

-50.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.12 LKR 354

43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$5.65 LKR 1,785

-51.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$1.21 LKR 381

87.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$1.15 LKR 362

65.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$1.41 LKR 444

63.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$1.18 LKR 374

-13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.61 LKR 191

27.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$10.19 LKR 3,217

-68.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$12.87 LKR 4,065

86.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$2.08 LKR 656

36.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$2.93 LKR 926

-4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.19 LKR 58.7

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$4.93 LKR 1,557

67.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$0.38 LKR 121

18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.35 LKR 112

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$0.61 LKR 194

886.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.22 LKR 385

-29.51%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$26.8K LKR 8.5M

-2.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$34.6K LKR 10.9M

-8.45%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$60.1 LKR 19.0K

30.44%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$4.36 LKR 1,377

-8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$15.10 LKR 4,768

61.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$14.30 LKR 4,518

569.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$7.38 LKR 2,332

-12.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$3.34 LKR 1,054

20.06%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$36.76 LKR 11.6K

720.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$445 LKR 140.7K

1369.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$27.84 LKR 8,792

91.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$19.75 LKR 6,238

95.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$68.3 LKR 21.6K

30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.76 LKR 12.2K

103.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$378 LKR 119.4K

168.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$175 LKR 55.3K

284.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$969 LKR 305.9K

247.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$366 LKR 115.6K

475.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$3,718 LKR 1.2M

-19.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,230 LKR 388.4K

89.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$242 LKR 76.4K

-26.66%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Colombo: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $378 in Colombo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Colombo pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $25 in Colombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $256 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 97% 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 36% 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $378 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 $710 in Colombo versus $1,395 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 $710 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 97% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.