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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $396 in Karnal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $643 in Karnal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $891 in Karnal.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 252% more expensive than 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

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$1.99 ₹188

70.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$10.58 ₹1,001

206.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$2.89 ₹274

73.01%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.13 ₹201

32.39%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.44 ₹41.42

213.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.11 ₹10.07

563.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$1.79 ₹169

66.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$2.65 ₹250

49.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.69 ₹65.4

159.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.51 ₹47.89

382.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$0.81 ₹76.8

48.15%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.10 ₹104

117.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$6.17 ₹584

133.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$3.56 ₹336

20.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$2.09 ₹197

80.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.82 ₹77.9

98.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.05 ₹99.7

166.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$0.48 ₹45.85

370.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$0.24 ₹22.51

733.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$0.32 ₹30.54

590.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.73 ₹69.0

46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.31 ₹29.68

145.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$4.61 ₹436

-32.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$9.13 ₹863

160.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.47 ₹139

93.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.28 ₹216

21.93%

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

$7.07 ₹669

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.30 ₹28.40

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$8.77 ₹829

-4.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$0.34 ₹32.03

32.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.11 ₹10.40

290.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$2.36 ₹224

153.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.10 ₹104

-27.27%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$9,265 ₹876.5K

178.54%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$28.2K ₹2.7M

12.60%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$34.58 ₹3,271

133.49%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$4.15 ₹392

-0.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$5.94 ₹562

306.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$15.69 ₹1,485

523.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$7.21 ₹682

-7.91%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$2.96 ₹280

36.49%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$89.5 ₹8,467

231.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$1,683 ₹159.2K

291.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$26.72 ₹2,528

106.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$27.18 ₹2,571

41.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$56.5 ₹5,341

52.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$35.92 ₹3,398

117.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$124 ₹11.7K

694.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$75.4 ₹7,133

781.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$279 ₹26.4K

1134.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$178 ₹16.9K

1045.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$1,149 ₹108.7K

146.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$374 ₹35.4K

509.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$437 ₹41.4K

-61.29%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Karnal: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $124 in Karnal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Karnal pays 158% 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 $11.00 in Karnal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $116 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 252% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Karnal earns 158% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $124 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 $11.00 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 $1,394 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $396 in Karnal – a 252% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $396 in Karnal versus $1,394 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 252% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.