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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $417 in Negombo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $688 in Negombo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $958 in Negombo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 237% more expensive than in Negombo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Negombo is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$4.04 LKR 1,356

-14.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$18.34 LKR 6,165

76.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$8.18 LKR 2,750

-40.83%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.36 LKR 457

102.21%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.68 LKR 229

102.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.37 LKR 125

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.96 LKR 658

52.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.33 LKR 1,118

15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.55 LKR 520

12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.49 LKR 164

402.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.86 LKR 288

36.05%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.21 LKR 742

9.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$14.31 LKR 4,810

1.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.61 LKR 1,549

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$5.58 LKR 1,876

114.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.02 LKR 680

84.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.77 LKR 257

111.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.44 LKR 819

12.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.21 LKR 408

85.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.86 LKR 289

123.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.95 LKR 318

140.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.03 LKR 344

2.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.61 LKR 204

18.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$8.64 LKR 2,903

-61.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$12.87 LKR 4,325

80.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.06 LKR 694

34.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.96 LKR 993

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.32 LKR 106

-15.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.39 LKR 131

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.33 LKR 112

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$0.60 LKR 203

936.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.21 LKR 406

-33.06%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$27.1K LKR 9.1M

-1.85%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$34.4K LKR 11.6M

-6.44%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$30.72 LKR 10.3K

155.05%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$4.31 LKR 1,448

-5.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$14.95 LKR 5,025

62.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$13.13 LKR 4,413

651.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$9.88 LKR 3,321

-35.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$2.49 LKR 837

60.24%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$36.96 LKR 12.4K

725.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$442 LKR 148.5K

1402.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$19.56 LKR 6,574

176.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$19.18 LKR 6,447

97.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$48.46 LKR 16.3K

79.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$27.21 LKR 9,144

180.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$177 LKR 59.5K

-5.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.45

-19.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Negombo: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Negombo pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Negombo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $204 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 237% 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 6% 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 $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $36.96 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 $18.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $417 in Negombo versus $1,408 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 $417 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 237% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.