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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $424 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $638 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $851 in Mardan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 228% more expensive than in Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$2.06 PKR 571

73.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$14.31 PKR 3,970

125.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$5.36 PKR 1,487

-6.53%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 PKR 479

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 PKR 1,110

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.00 PKR 556

41.00%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.31 PKR 87.1

335.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.24 PKR 66.7

204.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.77 PKR 214

131.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.62 PKR 171

295.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.84 PKR 233

36.90%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.19 PKR 331

102.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$6.33 PKR 1,756

126.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$2.31 PKR 641

81.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$3.26 PKR 904

269.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$0.69 PKR 191

427.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.55 PKR 152

185.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.96 PKR 268

190.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.33 PKR 92.6

578.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.24 PKR 66.6

725.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.37 PKR 102

516.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.33 PKR 91.8

218.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.13 PKR 35.05

507.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.43 PKR 396

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 PKR 543

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$1.43 PKR 398

123.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.18 PKR 49.54

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$6.89 PKR 1,911

21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.36 PKR 101

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.34 PKR 94.9

35.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$1.81 PKR 502

235.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.89 PKR 248

-3.37%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$21.3K PKR 5.9M

25.05%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$26.3K PKR 7.3M

23.64%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$112 PKR 31.1K

-29.55%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$5.55 PKR 1,540

-26.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$18.45 PKR 5,120

29.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$12.30 PKR 3,414

703.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$5.99 PKR 1,664

6.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.26 PKR 1,181

-5.87%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$17.48 PKR 4,851

1600.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$1,112 PKR 308.7K

493.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$21.33 PKR 5,920

150.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$27.63 PKR 7,669

37.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$89.2 PKR 24.8K

-0.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$17.39 PKR 4,827

340.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$75.5 PKR 21.0K

1249.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$51.8 PKR 14.4K

1212.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$167 PKR 46.3K

1979.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$105 PKR 29.1K

1892.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$867 PKR 240.6K

214.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$511 PKR 141.9K

348.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Mardan: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $75.5 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $14.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 228% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $636 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $75.5 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $17.48 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 278% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $424 in Mardan versus $1,392 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 228% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.