Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Madurai

For one person, living is cheaper in Madurai: $416 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Madurai, India
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Madurai
🇮🇳 India
$416
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Madurai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $416 in Madurai.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Madurai $416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $703 in Madurai.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Madurai $703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $989 in Madurai.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Madurai $989

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 224% more expensive than in Madurai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
$1.71 ₹162
94.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 645.8K
$10.45 ₹992
241.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
$4.23 ₹402
30.73%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.28 ₹216
19.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$0.58 ₹55.1
193.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.25 ₹23.87
204.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$2.14 ₹203
23.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
$3.72 ₹353
17.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$0.55 ₹52.5
170.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.2K
$0.56 ₹53.4
307.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.68 ₹65.0
75.00%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$0.84 ₹79.5
142.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
$6.12 ₹581
189.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
$2.96 ₹281
33.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 220.9K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.2K
$2.98 ₹283
22.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$0.74 ₹70.3
105.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.68 ₹159
32.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
$0.50 ₹47.66
294.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.62 ₹59.2
198.39%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$0.70 ₹66.9
245.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.67 ₹63.9
47.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,303
$0.29 ₹27.13
75.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$5.16 ₹490
-56.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.0K
$10.63 ₹1,010
109.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$2.13 ₹202
6.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$4.44 ₹421
-33.11%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$9.72 ₹923
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,548
$0.20 ₹18.95
25.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
$10.41 ₹988
-24.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,964
$1.17 ₹111
-62.39%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,793
$0.33 ₹31.24
30.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
$1.29 ₹122
319.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
$1.11 ₹106
-26.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.0M
$11.2K ₹1.1M
113.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.3M
$23.7K ₹2.2M
34.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$23.27 ₹2,210
239.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
$4.76 ₹452
35.50%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
$7.55 ₹717
146.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 896.7K
$15.81 ₹1,501
212.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 319.8K
$6.46 ₹614
173.22%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.4K
$2.67 ₹254
59.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$42.17 ₹4,004
1063.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
$1,576 ₹149.6K
260.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 808.9K
$25.37 ₹2,409
75.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 633.4K
$25.52 ₹2,423
36.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$53.2 ₹5,048
50.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$32.85 ₹3,119
141.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$135 ₹12.8K
735.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$79.7 ₹7,571
742.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
$433 ₹41.1K
724.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
$264 ₹25.0K
553.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$987 ₹93.8K
176.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$440 ₹41.8K
418.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Madurai
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$363 ₹34.4K
-54.80%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Madurai: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Madurai
$80 88.1% $592
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Madurai
$129 55.2% $159
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Madurai
$75 30.2% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Madurai
$62 42.7% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Madurai
$36 65.8% $69
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Madurai
$21 63.6% $37
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Madurai
$14 22.8% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $135 in Madurai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madurai pays about 2.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $10 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $129 per month, with Madurai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇳 Madurai
🕒 Local time
13:26 1:26 PM
10:56 10:56 AM
2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,700,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Madurai 4,590 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Madurai

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 Madurai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Madurai?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $416 in Madurai, so Madurai is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Madurai?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $135 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Madurai – a meal for two runs $10 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $416 in Madurai versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Madurai?
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.

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