Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Dharamsala

For one person, living is cheaper in Dharamsala: $376 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Dharamsala
🇮🇳 India
$376
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Dharamsala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Dharamsala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $376 in Dharamsala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Dharamsala $376

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $571 in Dharamsala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Dharamsala $571

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $766 in Dharamsala, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Dharamsala $766

Ubud, Bali costs about 260% more than Dharamsala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Dharamsala is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$2.60 ₹247
24.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$10.59 ₹1,006
229.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$3.08 ₹292
85.06%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$1.42 ₹135
84.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.37 ₹35.05
364.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.13 ₹12.19
523.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$1.59 ₹151
66.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$3.06 ₹290
42.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$0.57 ₹54.1
175.44%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$0.52 ₹49.34
321.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.85 ₹80.7
38.82%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$0.94 ₹89.1
129.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$5.14 ₹488
243.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$2.89 ₹274
30.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$1.43 ₹135
151.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$0.70 ₹66.0
127.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$1.03 ₹97.9
124.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$0.56 ₹53.4
241.07%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$0.20 ₹18.97
790.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$0.33 ₹31.64
606.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.38 ₹36.22
163.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.32 ₹30.61
65.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$3.12 ₹296
-26.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$3.12 ₹297
607.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$1.70 ₹161
38.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$2.70 ₹257
10.37%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.16 ₹490
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$0.25 ₹23.72
-8.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$7.56 ₹718
17.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$1.04 ₹98.4
-54.81%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.23 ₹21.84
86.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$1.64 ₹156
233.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.09 ₹103
-23.85%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$12.5K ₹1.2M
91.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$25.3K ₹2.4M
29.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$38.08 ₹3,616
110.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$2.33 ₹221
181.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$2.69 ₹255
591.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$14.18 ₹1,346
281.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$6.48 ₹615
182.10%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$3.22 ₹306
31.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$59.3 ₹5,635
730.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$2,424 ₹230.2K
130.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$27.67 ₹2,628
64.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$20.50 ₹1,947
70.54%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$51.8 ₹4,915
50.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$41.26 ₹3,918
90.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$96.2 ₹9,134
1076.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$81.8 ₹7,768
722.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$171 ₹16.2K
2011.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$129 ₹12.2K
1221.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$955 ₹90.7K
184.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$525 ₹49.9K
326.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Dharamsala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
8
72.25%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dharamsala: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Dharamsala
$82 87.8% $591
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Dharamsala
$93 67.6% $194
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Dharamsala
$64 40.4% $43
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Dharamsala
$63 40.7% $43
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Dharamsala
$43 59% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Dharamsala
$21 67.1% $42
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Dharamsala
$11 13.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $96.2 in Dharamsala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $11.00 in Dharamsala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $93.0 – making Dharamsala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇳 Dharamsala
🕒 Local time
22:30 10:30 PM
20:00 8:00 PM
2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
56,543
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Dharamsala 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Dharamsala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Dharamsala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dharamsala cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 260%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $564 in Dharamsala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dharamsala, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Dharamsala?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $376 in Dharamsala. That's a gap of about 260%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 18% less in Dharamsala. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Dharamsala?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Dharamsala, where all-in costs run around $376, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Dharamsala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Dharamsala more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Dharamsala – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Dharamsala?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dharamsala. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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