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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $431 in Madurai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $698 in Madurai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $966 in Madurai.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 227% more expensive than in Madurai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Madurai is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$1.79 ₹172

92.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$11.45 ₹1,104

182.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.08 ₹489

-4.72%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.75 ₹169

57.14%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.68 ₹65.4

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.20 ₹19.27

275.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.82 ₹176

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.98 ₹288

29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.60 ₹58.3

190.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.53 ₹51.3

364.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.76 ₹73.1

53.95%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$0.89 ₹86.1

173.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$7.07 ₹681

105.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.71 ₹358

17.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$3.26 ₹314

14.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.79 ₹76.5

106.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.98 ₹191

38.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.56 ₹54.4

300.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.81 ₹78.4

137.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.78 ₹75.7

192.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.70 ₹67.8

51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.52 ₹50.6

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.48 ₹432

-26.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$6.82 ₹657

240.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.21 ₹214

25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$4.49 ₹433

-39.20%

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

$6.63 ₹639

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.22 ₹21.20

22.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$11.71 ₹1,129

-30.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.07 ₹103

-55.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.22 ₹21.14

90.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$1.14 ₹110

445.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.16 ₹112

-30.17%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$17.8K ₹1.7M

49.55%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$22.8K ₹2.2M

41.47%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$31.76 ₹3,063

146.69%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$3.94 ₹380

3.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$7.60 ₹733

220.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$17.43 ₹1,681

465.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$7.14 ₹689

-11.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$2.69 ₹259

48.33%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$61.1 ₹5,891

399.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$1,921 ₹185.2K

245.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$26.64 ₹2,569

103.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$27.65 ₹2,667

36.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$49.12 ₹4,737

76.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$49.08 ₹4,733

55.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$116 ₹11.2K

753.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$74.8 ₹7,213

799.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$325 ₹31.3K

939.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$204 ₹19.7K

905.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,195 ₹115.3K

134.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$473 ₹45.7K

370.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$353 ₹34.0K

-52.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.8

35.51%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Madurai: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $116 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Madurai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $136 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 227% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $431 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $116 in Madurai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 118% 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 $11.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $431 in Madurai versus $1,408 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 227% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.