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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $238 in Mandalay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $422 in Mandalay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $605 in Mandalay.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 505% more expensive than Mandalay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Mandalay is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$2.04 MMK 4,280

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$14.00 MMK 29.4K

132.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$1.26 MMK 2,642

124.60%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$0.82 MMK 1,721

63.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.97 MMK 2,043

-28.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$0.77 MMK 1,612

288.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$1.27 MMK 2,675

203.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$1.02 MMK 2,133

70.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$1.02 MMK 2,153

149.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.54 MMK 1,128

120.37%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$0.97 MMK 2,044

150.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$9.99 MMK 21.0K

46.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$5.94 MMK 12.5K

-29.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$7.05 MMK 14.8K

69.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$4.18 MMK 8,777

-11.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.01 MMK 2,129

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$1.33 MMK 2,793

102.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$0.68 MMK 1,437

242.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$1.31 MMK 2,755

45.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$1.17 MMK 2,468

87.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.38 MMK 804

178.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.29 MMK 600

148.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$0.99 MMK 2,073

216.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$4.97 MMK 10.4K

372.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$0.56 MMK 1,187

389.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$0.42 MMK 876

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$4.10 MMK 8,607

50.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$6.60 MMK 13.9K

-40.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$18.27 MMK 38.4K

428.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$236 MMK 496.2K

28.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$5,642 MMK 11.9M

15.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$203 MMK 426.9K

398.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

$297 MMK 624.9K

1039.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$202 MMK 423.3K

-14.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mandalay: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $203 in Mandalay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandalay pays 16% 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 $14 in Mandalay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $167 per month, with Mandalay 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 Mandalay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandalay wins on cost – living expenses run 505% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mandalay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Mandalay earns 16% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $203 in Mandalay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $238 in Mandalay – a 505% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $238 in Mandalay versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Mandalay but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Mandalay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Mandalay delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $238 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mandalay hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Mandalay 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 Mandalay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 505% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.