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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $501 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $782 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,063 in Kathmandu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 179% 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

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$1.78 NPR 266

95.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 563.4K

$19.20 NPR 2,862

71.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.2K

$6.65 NPR 991

-23.46%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$1.90 NPR 284

44.74%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.49 NPR 73.8

181.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.15 NPR 22.74

373.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.3K

$2.55 NPR 380

12.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.3K

$3.62 NPR 540

6.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$0.89 NPR 132

101.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 41.9K

$0.54 NPR 80.8

353.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.94 NPR 139

28.72%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$1.77 NPR 264

35.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 251.9K

$9.22 NPR 1,375

59.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$3.12 NPR 465

35.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 206.9K

$6.05 NPR 902

99.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.8K

$2.18 NPR 326

67.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.5K

$1.09 NPR 162

47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.25 NPR 187

117.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 38.9K

$0.65 NPR 96.4

249.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.49 NPR 72.8

287.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$0.72 NPR 107

219.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.50 NPR 74.0

104.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.3K

$0.25 NPR 36.92

212.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.6K

$2.85 NPR 425

13.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.3K

$6.66 NPR 993

261.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$2.34 NPR 350

21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$3.35 NPR 499

-16.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,606

$0.23 NPR 34.39

17.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.2K

$10.79 NPR 1,608

-23.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,700

$2.21 NPR 329

-79.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,298

$1.07 NPR 159

-59.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.2K

$3.67 NPR 546

64.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.26 NPR 188

-31.75%

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

$26.1K Rp 446.6M

$31.7K NPR 4.7M

-17.80%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.2M

$41.2K NPR 6.1M

-23.04%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$32.83 NPR 4,894

138.62%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$5.00 NPR 746

-20.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.3K

$9.86 NPR 1,469

146.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$21.99 NPR 3,277

335.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.6K

$7.17 NPR 1,069

-9.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$3.32 NPR 494

20.78%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$93.0 NPR 13.9K

224.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.2M

$3,703 NPR 552.0K

76.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 915.5K

$24.62 NPR 3,670

116.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 660.6K

$27.47 NPR 4,095

40.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$58.3 NPR 8,688

52.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$40.32 NPR 6,010

95.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$192 NPR 28.6K

428.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$99.7 NPR 14.9K

574.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.7M

$347 NPR 51.8K

870.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.1M

$189 NPR 28.2K

1014.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.4M

$2,382 NPR 355.1K

26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.0M

$1,359 NPR 202.6K

71.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$241 NPR 36.0K

-26.46%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $192 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kathmandu pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $19 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $152 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 179% 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 36% 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $192 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 $1,395 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $501 in Kathmandu – a 179% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $501 in Kathmandu versus $1,395 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 $501 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 179% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.