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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $433 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $639 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $844 in Mardan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 224% more expensive than Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$2.13 PKR 593

67.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$14.42 PKR 4,010

125.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$5.18 PKR 1,441

-6.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 PKR 497

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 PKR 1,074

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.00 PKR 556

37.50%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.31 PKR 86.2

325.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.22 PKR 60.9

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.81 PKR 224

111.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.66 PKR 185

274.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.85 PKR 235

41.18%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.15 PKR 320

112.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$6.23 PKR 1,733

130.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.38 PKR 661

81.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$3.26 PKR 907

274.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$0.69 PKR 192

433.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.55 PKR 154

181.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.94 PKR 263

196.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.33 PKR 92.2

606.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.24 PKR 66.1

720.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.33 PKR 92.9

600.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.33 PKR 91.8

221.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.12 PKR 34.05

508.33%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.46 PKR 405

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 PKR 255

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 544

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$1.38 PKR 384

137.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.16 PKR 45.73

81.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$7.25 PKR 2,016

11.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.37 PKR 102

21.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.37 PKR 103

21.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$1.75 PKR 487

256.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.95 PKR 265

-10.53%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$21.0K PKR 5.8M

23.81%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$26.1K PKR 7.3M

21.23%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$112 PKR 31.2K

-27.95%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$5.62 PKR 1,562

-27.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$18.99 PKR 5,280

28.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$12.30 PKR 3,420

694.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$5.78 PKR 1,607

11.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.13 PKR 1,147

-2.18%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$17.76 PKR 4,937

1611.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$1,095 PKR 304.3K

504.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$21.73 PKR 6,043

149.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$28.38 PKR 7,891

36.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$87.3 PKR 24.3K

-1.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$17.89 PKR 4,973

328.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$73.9 PKR 20.5K

1234.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$52.5 PKR 14.6K

1152.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$164 PKR 45.5K

1957.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$108 PKR 29.9K

1821.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$774 PKR 215.2K

254.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$424 PKR 118.0K

424.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$268 PKR 74.4K

-38.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

20.2

-34.26%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Mardan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $73.9 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mardan pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $79.0 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, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 224% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mardan earns 64% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $73.9 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $17.76 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 274% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $433 in Mardan versus $1,404 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 224% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.