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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $411 in Karnal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $646 in Karnal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $881 in Karnal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 250% more expensive than Karnal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Karnal is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$2.01 ₹191

77.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$10.40 ₹987

213.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$2.83 ₹268

79.15%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.17 ₹206

30.41%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.41 ₹38.47

226.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.12 ₹11.73

475.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.84 ₹174

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.56 ₹243

50.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.71 ₹67.2

145.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.50 ₹47.23

408.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.86 ₹82.0

38.37%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.14 ₹108

113.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$6.15 ₹584

138.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.42 ₹324

22.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.11 ₹200

74.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.78 ₹74.3

106.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.05 ₹99.7

156.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.46 ₹43.62

406.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.26 ₹24.72

634.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.30 ₹28.41

630.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.73 ₹68.9

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.31 ₹29.55

132.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.54 ₹431

-31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$12.97 ₹1,231

81.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.53 ₹145

79.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.32 ₹220

24.14%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.89 ₹654

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.28 ₹26.23

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$8.71 ₹827

-6.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.36 ₹34.45

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.10 ₹9.72

320.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$2.28 ₹216

170.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.09 ₹104

-22.94%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$9,287 ₹881.7K

182.59%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$27.9K ₹2.6M

16.45%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$34.57 ₹3,282

126.84%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.05 ₹384

-2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$5.91 ₹561

312.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$15.94 ₹1,513

505.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$7.08 ₹673

-10.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$2.89 ₹275

39.79%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$90.9 ₹8,633

232.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$1,712 ₹162.6K

280.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$26.17 ₹2,485

105.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$26.67 ₹2,532

42.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$58.3 ₹5,536

48.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$35.79 ₹3,398

120.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$122 ₹11.6K

727.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$75.5 ₹7,170

793.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$278 ₹26.4K

1118.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$178 ₹16.9K

1079.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$940 ₹89.2K

217.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$528 ₹50.1K

343.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$443 ₹42.1K

-60.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.88

49.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Karnal: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Karnal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karnal pays 156% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Karnal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $124 per month, with Karnal 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 Karnal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karnal is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 250% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Karnal earns 156% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 in Karnal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Karnal – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $411 in Karnal – a 250% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $411 in Karnal versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karnal but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Karnal the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Karnal is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Karnal 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 Karnal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.