Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and McLeod Ganj

For one person, living is cheaper in McLeod Ganj: $384 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
McLeod Ganj
🇮🇳 India
$384
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in McLeod Ganj

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 McLeod Ganj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $384 in McLeod Ganj.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • McLeod Ganj $384

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $610 in McLeod Ganj.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • McLeod Ganj $610

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $836 in McLeod Ganj.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • McLeod Ganj $836

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 256% more expensive than in McLeod Ganj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, McLeod Ganj is 72% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$2.27 ₹215
46.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$10.66 ₹1,012
230.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$3.48 ₹330
66.67%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$1.58 ₹150
72.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.38 ₹35.76
331.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.18 ₹16.92
361.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.76 ₹167
53.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$3.12 ₹297
37.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$0.66 ₹62.4
127.27%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$0.48 ₹45.99
379.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.70 ₹66.8
68.57%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$0.93 ₹88.5
130.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$5.04 ₹479
246.83%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$2.92 ₹277
38.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$2.00 ₹190
77.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$0.74 ₹70.4
112.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$0.95 ₹90.1
135.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$0.50 ₹47.13
286.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$0.38 ₹36.49
394.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$0.43 ₹40.81
432.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.45 ₹42.60
120.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.34 ₹32.58
55.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$4.04 ₹383
-43.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$7.58 ₹719
203.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$1.71 ₹162
36.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.83 ₹268
2.83%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$5.42 ₹514
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.30 ₹28.49
-20.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$8.67 ₹823
1.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$0.77 ₹73.3
-37.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.27 ₹25.77
70.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$1.44 ₹136
278.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.16 ₹110
-24.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$13.8K ₹1.3M
77.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$22.1K ₹2.1M
41.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$38.36 ₹3,642
116.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$3.51 ₹334
83.76%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$7.19 ₹683
158.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$16.22 ₹1,540
244.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$7.13 ₹677
154.00%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$2.97 ₹282
47.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$50.8 ₹4,823
870.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$1,523 ₹144.6K
277.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$23.96 ₹2,275
92.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$25.03 ₹2,377
41.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$42.59 ₹4,044
85.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$30.87 ₹2,932
153.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$123 ₹11.7K
829.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$75.6 ₹7,176
794.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$277 ₹26.3K
1166.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$178 ₹16.9K
854.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$1,041 ₹98.8K
167.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$598 ₹56.8K
274.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
McLeod Ganj
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
8.67
58.94%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for McLeod Ganj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
McLeod Ganj
$76 88.8% $600
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
McLeod Ganj
$106 63.6% $185
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
McLeod Ganj
$65 40.4% $44
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
McLeod Ganj
$49 54.6% $59
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
McLeod Ganj
$55 48.8% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
McLeod Ganj
$22 65.7% $42
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
McLeod Ganj
$12 4.4% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $123 in McLeod Ganj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in McLeod Ganj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $106 per month, with McLeod Ganj cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇳 McLeod Ganj
🕒 Local time
03:40 3:40 AM
01:10 1:10 AM
2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
11,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali McLeod Ganj 6,130 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • McLeod Ganj

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 McLeod Ganj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in McLeod Ganj?
Ubud, Bali and McLeod Ganj differ by about 256% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $384 including rent). McLeod Ganj is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to McLeod Ganj?
You'd need roughly $2,051 in Ubud, Bali and $577 in McLeod Ganj 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in McLeod Ganj?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $123 in McLeod Ganj. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in McLeod Ganj – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or McLeod Ganj?
All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $384 in McLeod Ganj – a 256% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $384 in McLeod Ganj versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in McLeod Ganj but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes McLeod Ganj the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and McLeod Ganj?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ubud, Bali or McLeod Ganj safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and McLeod Ganj are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Ubud, Bali or McLeod Ganj?
Expats usually find McLeod Ganj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?