Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nuwara Eliya Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nuwara Eliya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Nuwara Eliya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $844 in Nuwara Eliya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,171 in Nuwara Eliya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 169% more expensive than in Nuwara Eliya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Nuwara Eliya is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$3.99 LKR 1,339

-10.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$25.24 LKR 8,469

28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$8.41 LKR 2,823

-40.43%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.62 LKR 880

7.63%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.73 LKR 245

84.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.38 LKR 126

92.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.37 LKR 794

23.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.33 LKR 1,118

18.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.77 LKR 595

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.57 LKR 190

329.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.87 LKR 293

32.18%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.14 LKR 719

12.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$13.97 LKR 4,688

2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.54 LKR 1,523

-7.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$7.84 LKR 2,631

53.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$7.37 LKR 2,474

-50.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.06 LKR 356

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$5.92 LKR 1,987

-52.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.26 LKR 423

77.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.16 LKR 389

70.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.42 LKR 475

60.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.14 LKR 382

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.60 LKR 202

31.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$9.97 LKR 3,347

-68.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$12.39 LKR 4,157

89.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.10 LKR 704

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.92 LKR 980

-5.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.42 LKR 140

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.33 LKR 111

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$0.57 LKR 192

964.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.20 LKR 404

-28.33%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$27.1K LKR 9.1M

-1.87%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$35.2K LKR 11.8M

-7.51%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$59.1 LKR 19.8K

33.71%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$4.22 LKR 1,416

-3.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$15.37 LKR 5,158

55.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$3.29 LKR 1,105

21.88%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$36.10 LKR 12.1K

723.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$434 LKR 145.7K

1420.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$28.06 LKR 9,416

90.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$19.14 LKR 6,423

99.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$68.8 LKR 23.1K

28.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$38.40 LKR 12.9K

99.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

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 28, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Nuwara Eliya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $256 per month, with Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nuwara Eliya is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 169% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $776 in Nuwara Eliya 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.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $36.10 in Nuwara Eliya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $517 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nuwara Eliya but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Nuwara Eliya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya 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 Nuwara Eliya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.