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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $497 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $791 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,084 in Kathmandu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 182% more expensive than Kathmandu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Kathmandu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.8K

$1.79 NPR 274

99.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 590.5K

$18.80 NPR 2,878

72.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 88.4K

$6.68 NPR 1,023

-27.25%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.9K

$1.92 NPR 294

43.23%

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

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

$0.50 NPR 76.4

164.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.8K

$0.19 NPR 29.23

268.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.9K

$2.60 NPR 398

11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.9K

$3.72 NPR 569

1.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 31.1K

$0.89 NPR 136

92.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 45.0K

$0.55 NPR 84.3

349.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$1.01 NPR 155

18.81%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 44.4K

$1.79 NPR 274

36.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 261.3K

$9.18 NPR 1,406

56.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 78.2K

$3.26 NPR 499

32.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 221.8K

$6.23 NPR 955

95.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.9K

$2.20 NPR 337

67.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.2K

$1.09 NPR 167

42.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.6K

$1.24 NPR 190

125.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.4K

$0.64 NPR 98.5

264.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$0.48 NPR 72.8

310.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 42.0K

$0.72 NPR 110

220.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

$0.52 NPR 79.8

103.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.27 NPR 41.67

170.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 59.6K

$2.93 NPR 448

11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 414.1K

$7.90 NPR 1,210

188.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 51.0K

$2.29 NPR 351

22.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

$3.34 NPR 512

-16.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,290

$0.21 NPR 32.01

38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 146.4K

$11.00 NPR 1,685

-26.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,159

$2.24 NPR 343

-79.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,207

$1.07 NPR 163

-57.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 113.3K

$3.54 NPR 542

76.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.27 NPR 195

-33.07%

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

$26.0K Rp 471.9M

$31.4K NPR 4.8M

-17.27%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.1M

$40.5K NPR 6.2M

-21.87%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$33.35 NPR 5,106

142.13%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.7K

$4.74 NPR 726

-14.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 443.7K

$9.57 NPR 1,466

155.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.8M

$22.34 NPR 3,421

337.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 117.1K

$7.19 NPR 1,101

-10.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 73.4K

$3.21 NPR 492

25.86%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$92.3 NPR 14.1K

229.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 120.3M

$3,802 NPR 582.2K

74.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 985.2K

$24.77 NPR 3,792

118.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 704.4K

$28.44 NPR 4,355

36.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$57.4 NPR 8,789

50.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$39.43 NPR 6,037

94.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.9M

$195 NPR 29.9K

404.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 12.0M

$99.1 NPR 15.2K

563.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 61.2M

$346 NPR 52.9K

874.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.5M

$184 NPR 28.2K

1022.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.8M

$2,286 NPR 350.1K

19.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 40.5M

$1,329 NPR 203.4K

67.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 3.0M

$278 NPR 42.6K

-41.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

12.08

9.93%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $195 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kathmandu pays 70% 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 $19.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $156 per month, with Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 182% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kathmandu earns 70% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $195 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $19.00 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 $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $497 in Kathmandu – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Kathmandu versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $497 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.