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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $542 in Kalutara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $867 in Kalutara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,192 in Kalutara.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 157% more expensive than in Kalutara, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kalutara is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$4.10 LKR 1,376

-12.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$24.95 LKR 8,374

29.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$8.51 LKR 2,855

-41.13%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.75 LKR 923

2.55%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.73 LKR 244

84.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.37 LKR 125

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.30 LKR 773

27.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.40 LKR 1,142

15.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.78 LKR 596

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.53 LKR 177

362.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.81 LKR 272

41.98%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.18 LKR 733

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$13.99 LKR 4,696

2.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.53 LKR 1,520

-7.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$7.98 LKR 2,677

51.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$7.60 LKR 2,551

-52.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.10 LKR 369

42.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$5.94 LKR 1,992

-53.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.20 LKR 404

86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.16 LKR 389

70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.41 LKR 475

61.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.14 LKR 384

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.57 LKR 191

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$9.87 LKR 3,312

-67.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$12.79 LKR 4,291

83.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.01 LKR 674

44.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.88 LKR 966

-4.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.39 LKR 131

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.35 LKR 119

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$0.58 LKR 193

946.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.25 LKR 418

-31.20%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

0.98%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$34.8K LKR 11.7M

-6.48%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$60.3 LKR 20.2K

30.98%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$4.42 LKR 1,482

-7.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$14.93 LKR 5,009

59.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$10.13 LKR 3,398

875.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$3.41 LKR 1,145

17.60%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$36.88 LKR 12.4K

705.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$449 LKR 150.8K

1369.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$27.12 LKR 9,100

97.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$19.32 LKR 6,482

97.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$69.7 LKR 23.4K

27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$39.09 LKR 13.1K

96.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Kalutara: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Kalutara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 157% 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 $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $812 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 $36.88 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 $25.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $542 in Kalutara versus $1,392 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 $542 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 157% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.