Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Matara

For one person, living is cheaper in Matara: $576 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Matara
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Matara Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Matara

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Matara

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Matara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $576 in Matara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Matara $576

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $839 in Matara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Matara $839

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,102 in Matara, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Matara $1,102

Ubud, Bali costs about 134% more than Matara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$3.73 LKR 1,241

-10.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

$24.54 LKR 8,159

45.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$7.53 LKR 2,503

-26.56%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$2.44 LKR 810

11.48%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.67 LKR 222

153.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.25 LKR 83.1

204.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$2.23 LKR 741

18.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$3.06 LKR 1,017

43.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.56 LKR 519

-4.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$0.53 LKR 177

330.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.76 LKR 253

56.58%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$1.53 LKR 509

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

$13.58 LKR 4,514

30.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$4.84 LKR 1,609

-18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$7.26 LKR 2,415

67.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$6.71 LKR 2,230

-45.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$0.43 LKR 142

253.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.46 LKR 1,481

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$0.91 LKR 302

116.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$0.92 LKR 306

101.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$0.58 LKR 193

317.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.89 LKR 295

11.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$0.46 LKR 151

10.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$9.85 LKR 3,276

-77.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

$12.94 LKR 4,303

71.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$1.79 LKR 596

26.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$3.00 LKR 997

-1.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

$0.31 LKR 104

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

$0.40 LKR 133

10.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

$0.35 LKR 115

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

$0.95 LKR 317

469.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$1.38 LKR 458

-40.58%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

$44.2K LKR 14.7M

-46.11%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

$41.3K LKR 13.7M

-23.20%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$46.17 LKR 15.4K

71.24%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$4.22 LKR 1,403

52.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$20.99 LKR 6,977

-11.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$4.60 LKR 1,530

-7.17%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$38.17 LKR 12.7K

1185.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

$1,204 LKR 400.4K

371.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$18.04 LKR 5,997

147.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$16.90 LKR 5,618

106.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$78.9 LKR 26.2K

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$41.70 LKR 13.9K

90.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$179 LKR 59.6K

527.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$90.1 LKR 30.0K

645.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$105 LKR 34.8K

56.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.69

8.59%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Matara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Matara

$90 15.7% 86.6% $581

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Matara

$229 39.8% 20.6% $59

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Matara

$103 17.8% 4.7% $5

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Matara

$70 12.2% 34.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Matara

$71 12.4% 31.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Matara

$9.2 * 1.6% 84.1% $49

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Matara

$3.4 * 0.6% 70.3% $8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $179 in Matara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 57% higher in Ubud, Bali, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $25 in Matara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $229 – making Matara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇱🇰 Matara

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

100,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 332 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 370 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.7 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Matara 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Matara

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Matara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 134%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $864 in Matara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Matara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $179 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $576 in Matara. That makes Matara about 57% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $38 in Matara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Matara, where all-in costs run around $576, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Matara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Matara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Matara. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.