Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kurunegala

For one person, living is cheaper in Kurunegala: $479 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Kurunegala
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Kurunegala Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Kurunegala

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$479

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Kurunegala

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Kurunegala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $479 in Kurunegala.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Kurunegala $479

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $780 in Kurunegala.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Kurunegala $780

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,081 in Kurunegala.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Kurunegala $1,081

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 183% more expensive than in Kurunegala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Kurunegala is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$1.78 LKR 589

81.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$24.99 LKR 8,277

39.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$4.41 LKR 1,461

29.25%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.58 LKR 853

1.55%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.43 LKR 143

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.27 LKR 90.0

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.24 LKR 741

18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$3.04 LKR 1,006

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.47 LKR 488

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$0.47 LKR 154

365.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.77 LKR 254

53.25%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.72 LKR 570

25.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$14.01 LKR 4,641

25.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.93 LKR 1,634

-23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$7.40 LKR 2,452

61.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$6.51 LKR 2,157

-44.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$0.87 LKR 287

82.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$4.51 LKR 1,493

-48.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.32 LKR 437

44.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.03 LKR 342

72.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.77 LKR 255

202.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.94 LKR 311

6.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.42 LKR 139

26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$10.40 LKR 3,446

-77.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$12.73 LKR 4,217

73.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.94 LKR 644

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.93 LKR 972

1.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.40 LKR 134

17.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.31 LKR 104

38.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$0.93 LKR 307

488.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.04 LKR 346

-20.19%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$44.0K LKR 14.6M

-45.68%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$40.3K LKR 13.4M

-18.67%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$59.2 LKR 19.6K

35.05%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$4.32 LKR 1,432

51.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$20.93 LKR 6,932

-11.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$4.42 LKR 1,465

-3.85%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$37.41 LKR 12.4K

1217.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$1,204 LKR 398.7K

364.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$18.13 LKR 6,005

151.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$16.35 LKR 5,416

113.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$80.5 LKR 26.7K

-3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$40.91 LKR 13.6K

91.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$150 LKR 49.5K

11.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.69

8.59%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kurunegala: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Kurunegala

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Kurunegala

$235 49.1% 18.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Kurunegala

$70 14.6% 34.2% $36

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Kurunegala

$78 16.4% 26.3% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Kurunegala

$84 17.6% 19.7% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Kurunegala

$8.9 * 1.9% 85.9% $54

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Kurunegala

$2 * 0.4% 84.1% $10

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Ubud, Bali pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Kurunegala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $235 per month, with Kurunegala cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇱🇰 Kurunegala

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

30,300

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 331 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.02 USD). 1 EUR = 372 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.69 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Kurunegala 4,260 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Kurunegala

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kurunegala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kurunegala is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 183% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Ubud, Bali, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $37.41 in Kurunegala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kurunegala – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $479 in Kurunegala versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kurunegala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kurunegala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala 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 Kurunegala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 183% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.