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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $412 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $664 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $916 in Madurai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 232% more expensive than in Madurai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Madurai is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$1.71 ₹165

101.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$10.27 ₹985

253.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.09 ₹392

39.61%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.33 ₹223

14.59%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.57 ₹54.8

207.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.24 ₹23.04

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.15 ₹206

37.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.88 ₹372

16.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.58 ₹55.6

179.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.54 ₹51.7

331.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.64 ₹61.4

73.44%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.80 ₹76.5

175.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$5.79 ₹555

205.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.98 ₹286

37.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.96 ₹284

25.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.69 ₹65.9

130.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.66 ₹160

37.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.50 ₹47.79

290.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.60 ₹58.0

218.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.69 ₹66.6

237.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.67 ₹64.2

50.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.31 ₹29.89

77.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$5.09 ₹488

-56.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$10.51 ₹1,009

119.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$2.07 ₹198

16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$4.44 ₹426

-32.43%

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

$9.67 ₹928

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.20 ₹19.16

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$10.28 ₹986

-12.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.17 ₹113

-58.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.35 ₹33.76

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$1.23 ₹118

358.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.04 ₹100

-23.08%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$18.7K ₹1.8M

33.34%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$24.2K ₹2.3M

30.85%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$23.06 ₹2,212

253.25%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$4.79 ₹460

35.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$7.54 ₹723

148.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$15.56 ₹1,493

265.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$6.59 ₹632

184.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$2.58 ₹247

75.97%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$41.57 ₹3,988

1056.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$1,536 ₹147.3K

271.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$25.43 ₹2,439

79.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$25.87 ₹2,482

38.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.5 ₹5,135

50.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$32.08 ₹3,077

145.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$147 ₹14.1K

658.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$81.8 ₹7,843

753.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$304 ₹29.1K

1097.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$202 ₹19.4K

759.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$1,132 ₹108.6K

145.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$484 ₹46.4K

373.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$355 ₹34.0K

-52.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

9.59

43.69%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Madurai: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $147 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madurai pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $127 per month, with Madurai 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 Madurai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Madurai differ by about 232% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $412 including rent). Madurai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 111% lower in Madurai. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $147 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 132% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Madurai – a meal for two runs $10.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $412 in Madurai versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Madurai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Madurai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Madurai 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 Madurai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.