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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $397 in Karnal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $636 in Karnal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $874 in Karnal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 251% more expensive than in Karnal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Karnal is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$1.99 ₹190

79.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$10.26 ₹979

215.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$2.84 ₹271

76.41%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.20 ₹210

28.18%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.44 ₹41.79

206.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.13 ₹12.14

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.79 ₹171

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.64 ₹252

49.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.69 ₹65.4

157.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.53 ₹51.0

362.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.83 ₹79.1

38.55%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.13 ₹108

113.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$6.14 ₹586

133.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$3.40 ₹325

23.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.12 ₹202

71.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.80 ₹75.9

96.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.02 ₹96.9

173.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.49 ₹46.81

357.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.26 ₹24.92

661.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.30 ₹28.39

660.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.72 ₹69.1

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.31 ₹29.99

154.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$4.56 ₹435

-30.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$8.69 ₹829

170.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.55 ₹148

87.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.27 ₹216

21.59%

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

$7.05 ₹672

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.28 ₹26.67

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$8.88 ₹847

-5.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.36 ₹34.81

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.09 ₹9.03

411.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$2.27 ₹217

167.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.10 ₹105

-21.82%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$9,387 ₹895.3K

183.21%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$27.6K ₹2.6M

18.13%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$35.33 ₹3,370

123.66%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$4.20 ₹401

-2.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$5.79 ₹552

311.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$15.63 ₹1,490

531.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$7.15 ₹681

-11.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$2.98 ₹284

34.56%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$91.3 ₹8,703

225.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$1,709 ₹163.0K

286.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$26.61 ₹2,538

100.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$26.48 ₹2,525

43.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$56.4 ₹5,376

57.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$35.94 ₹3,427

113.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$122 ₹11.6K

734.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$75.0 ₹7,148

807.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$274 ₹26.1K

1168.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$179 ₹17.1K

1065.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,129 ₹107.6K

141.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$372 ₹35.4K

517.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$435 ₹41.5K

-62.38%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Karnal: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Karnal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karnal pays 166% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Karnal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $115 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 251% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 166% lower in Karnal. 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: $1,020 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $397 in Karnal – a 251% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $397 in Karnal versus $1,392 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 251% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.