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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $539 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $868 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,196 in Kalutara.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 158% more expensive than Kalutara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kalutara is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$3.93 LKR 1,308

-13.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$25.58 LKR 8,517

26.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$8.35 LKR 2,780

-40.12%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.66 LKR 886

6.02%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.72 LKR 241

91.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.37 LKR 124

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$2.29 LKR 762

30.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$3.32 LKR 1,107

19.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.75 LKR 584

2.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.56 LKR 187

339.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$0.82 LKR 273

46.34%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$2.14 LKR 712

11.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$14.15 LKR 4,711

1.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$4.59 LKR 1,529

-6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$7.84 LKR 2,612

50.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$7.37 LKR 2,455

-48.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.11 LKR 370

46.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$5.66 LKR 1,885

-50.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.24 LKR 414

82.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.16 LKR 387

72.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.42 LKR 472

55.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.15 LKR 383

-6.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.60 LKR 201

26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$10.25 LKR 3,413

-69.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$12.98 LKR 4,322

83.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$2.11 LKR 702

34.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.88 LKR 959

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$0.38 LKR 127

18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.33 LKR 108

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$0.57 LKR 190

949.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.24 LKR 413

-35.48%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$26.8K LKR 8.9M

-3.87%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$34.6K LKR 11.5M

-8.04%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$59.2 LKR 19.7K

36.39%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$4.21 LKR 1,402

-1.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$14.97 LKR 4,985

61.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$9.92 LKR 3,303

885.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$3.32 LKR 1,105

21.69%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$36.60 LKR 12.2K

711.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$442 LKR 147.2K

1390.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$27.75 LKR 9,241

98.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$19.68 LKR 6,553

95.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.2 LKR 23.4K

22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$38.14 LKR 12.7K

104.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

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 14, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $26.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $257 per month, with Kalutara 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 Kalutara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kalutara wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kalutara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,091 in Ubud, Bali and $809 in Kalutara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $36.60 in Kalutara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kalutara – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $539 in Kalutara versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kalutara but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kalutara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kalutara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kalutara hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kalutara 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 Kalutara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.