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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $433 in Mardan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $641 in Mardan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $848 in Mardan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 232% more expensive than Mardan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Mardan is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$2.18 PKR 607

63.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$14.39 PKR 4,012

126.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$5.35 PKR 1,491

-5.23%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 PKR 488

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 PKR 1,097

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.06 PKR 574

37.38%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.29 PKR 79.8

362.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.22 PKR 61.0

213.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.78 PKR 216

123.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.65 PKR 182

290.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.84 PKR 233

41.67%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.16 PKR 322

109.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$6.03 PKR 1,680

143.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.39 PKR 666

74.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$3.10 PKR 866

285.16%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$0.74 PKR 205

398.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.55 PKR 152

192.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.95 PKR 266

183.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.30 PKR 84.8

676.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.24 PKR 66.8

695.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.37 PKR 102

491.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.31 PKR 86.1

241.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.15 PKR 41.17

380.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.98 PKR 552

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 PKR 243

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 PKR 554

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$1.37 PKR 383

128.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.18 PKR 49.01

61.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$7.04 PKR 1,964

16.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.36 PKR 102

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.34 PKR 96.0

23.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$1.81 PKR 506

240.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.97 PKR 271

-13.40%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$20.8K PKR 5.8M

26.02%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$26.2K PKR 7.3M

23.81%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$114 PKR 31.8K

-31.31%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$5.37 PKR 1,497

-26.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$18.43 PKR 5,137

32.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$12.43 PKR 3,464

676.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$5.91 PKR 1,647

7.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.18 PKR 1,165

-3.35%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$17.36 PKR 4,839

1643.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$1,128 PKR 314.4K

478.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$21.42 PKR 5,970

151.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$27.91 PKR 7,781

36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$89.5 PKR 25.0K

-3.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$17.55 PKR 4,893

349.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$75.8 PKR 21.1K

1235.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$51.6 PKR 14.4K

1206.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$164 PKR 45.8K

1962.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$108 PKR 30.1K

1841.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$270 PKR 75.2K

-35.79%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mardan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $75.8 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mardan pays 56% 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 $298 vs $78.0 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 232% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Mardan earns 56% 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 $75.8 in Mardan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $17.36 in Mardan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 280% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $433 in Mardan versus $1,438 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 232% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.