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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $500 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $767 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,033 in Mardan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 174% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Mardan is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$3.59 PKR 994

-4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$23.00 PKR 6,371

57.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$5.53 PKR 1,531

3.25%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 PKR 994

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.92 PKR 1,918

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.62 PKR 725

1.91%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.36 PKR 98.5

386.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.23 PKR 64.0

278.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.91 PKR 252

78.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.79 PKR 220

194.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.29 PKR 357

-13.95%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.21 PKR 336

81.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$2.97 PKR 823

495.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$3.12 PKR 864

31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$3.74 PKR 1,035

225.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$0.94 PKR 260

294.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.74 PKR 205

114.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.06 PKR 295

115.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.37 PKR 103

427.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.28 PKR 78.3

582.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.35 PKR 98.2

565.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.28 PKR 76.4

260.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.37 PKR 103

48.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.77 PKR 489

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 PKR 326

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 PKR 746

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$1.78 PKR 493

25.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.16 PKR 43.23

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$10.72 PKR 2,970

-16.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.30 PKR 359

-63.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.74 PKR 205

-41.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$1.66 PKR 460

239.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.02 PKR 283

-21.57%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$21.4K PKR 5.9M

16.31%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$24.0K PKR 6.7M

32.06%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$104 PKR 28.9K

-21.79%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$5.69 PKR 1,575

14.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$15.72 PKR 4,353

19.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$14.73 PKR 4,079

286.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$4.34 PKR 1,203

4.61%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$75.2 PKR 20.8K

538.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$1,028 PKR 284.9K

455.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$24.74 PKR 6,852

83.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$34.30 PKR 9,501

4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$98.1 PKR 27.2K

-18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$40.71 PKR 11.3K

93.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$128 PKR 35.4K

773.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$78.1 PKR 21.6K

793.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$250 PKR 69.4K

1352.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$151 PKR 41.7K

1052.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$994 PKR 275.4K

180.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$591 PKR 163.8K

287.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

13.08

5.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mardan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $128 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $85.0 per month, with Mardan 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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,052 in Ubud, Bali and $750 in Mardan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $128 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $75.2 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 247% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $500 in Mardan versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Mardan 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 Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 174% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.