Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Negombo Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Negombo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $398 in Negombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $648 in Negombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $898 in Negombo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 243% more expensive than in Negombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Negombo is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$4.34 LKR 1,437

-20.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$16.72 LKR 5,537

117.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$7.74 LKR 2,562

-26.23%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$1.29 LKR 426

106.98%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.74 LKR 246

136.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.25 LKR 82.0

248.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.27 LKR 753

29.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.07 LKR 1,017

47.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.58 LKR 522

2.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.58 LKR 191

301.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.76 LKR 252

46.05%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.66 LKR 548

32.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$13.04 LKR 4,317

35.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$4.22 LKR 1,398

-2.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.04 LKR 2,000

101.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.82 LKR 601

103.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.68 LKR 226

133.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.23 LKR 737

2.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.21 LKR 402

61.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.73 LKR 242

161.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.75 LKR 247

210.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.90 LKR 297

12.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.48 LKR 160

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$10.21 LKR 3,379

-78.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$13.48 LKR 4,463

71.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.90 LKR 629

27.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.77 LKR 918

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.31 LKR 103

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.38 LKR 126

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.36 LKR 119

19.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$0.89 LKR 294

533.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.05 LKR 348

-23.81%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$30.1K LKR 10.0M

-17.05%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$42.3K LKR 14.0M

-25.02%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$25.91 LKR 8,578

214.40%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$4.26 LKR 1,409

52.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$21.26 LKR 7,040

-11.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$15.30 LKR 5,065

271.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$9.32 LKR 3,087

100.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$2.45 LKR 812

85.31%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$37.62 LKR 12.5K

1177.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$460 LKR 152.3K

1141.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$8.89 LKR 2,944

412.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$16.80 LKR 5,561

113.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$37.16 LKR 12.3K

116.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$24.13 LKR 7,990

226.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$180 LKR 59.8K

-6.90%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Negombo: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Negombo pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $193 per month, with Negombo 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 Negombo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Negombo wins on cost – living expenses run 243% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Negombo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Negombo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $37.62 in Negombo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Negombo – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $398 in Negombo versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Negombo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Negombo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Negombo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $398 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Negombo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Negombo 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 Negombo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 243% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.