Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Nuwara Eliya

For one person, living is cheaper in Nuwara Eliya: $510 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Nuwara Eliya
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Nuwara Eliya Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Nuwara Eliya

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

$510

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Nuwara Eliya

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 Nuwara Eliya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $510 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Nuwara Eliya $510

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $827 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Nuwara Eliya $827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,145 in Nuwara Eliya.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Nuwara Eliya $1,145

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 161% more expensive than in Nuwara Eliya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Nuwara Eliya 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.2K

$3.85 LKR 1,282

-12.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 628.6K

$24.56 LKR 8,169

41.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 101.1K

$7.65 LKR 2,545

-27.19%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.5K

$2.43 LKR 809

7.82%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$0.37 LKR 122

316.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.25 LKR 82.5

156.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.4K

$2.19 LKR 728

21.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.3K

$3.03 LKR 1,008

40.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$1.56 LKR 520

-6.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.6K

$0.53 LKR 175

332.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.1K

$0.74 LKR 247

50.00%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.1K

$1.70 LKR 564

23.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 289.2K

$15.44 LKR 5,136

3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.4K

$5.10 LKR 1,696

-23.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 206.8K

$7.42 LKR 2,467

53.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.4K

$6.74 LKR 2,243

-47.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$0.84 LKR 279

83.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$4.17 LKR 1,388

-46.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.27 LKR 422

55.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.7K

$1.08 LKR 360

72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$0.83 LKR 276

191.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$1.21 LKR 403

-15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,475

$0.45 LKR 150

15.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.9K

$10.43 LKR 3,471

-78.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 395.2K

$13.78 LKR 4,582

58.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.2K

$1.93 LKR 643

20.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.97 LKR 989

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,542

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,941

$0.37 LKR 124

18.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,489

$0.31 LKR 103

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

$0.86 LKR 286

551.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$1.33 LKR 441

-37.59%

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

$24.4K Rp 443.5M

$43.7K LKR 14.5M

-44.08%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.0M

$45.6K LKR 15.2M

-30.54%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$56.4 LKR 18.8K

37.38%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.5K

$4.13 LKR 1,375

48.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 343.1K

$20.61 LKR 6,854

-8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 925.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 331.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$4.50 LKR 1,496

-2.67%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$39.94 LKR 13.3K

1132.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.7M

$17.4K LKR 5.8M

-29.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 819.2K

$18.00 LKR 5,988

150.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 632.9K

$17.55 LKR 5,838

98.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$79.7 LKR 26.5K

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$41.09 LKR 13.7K

89.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

12.5

10.24%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Nuwara Eliya: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Nuwara Eliya

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Nuwara Eliya

$245 48.1% 12.4% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Nuwara Eliya

$70 13.8% 33.8% $36

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Nuwara Eliya

$102 20.1% 3.1% $3.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Nuwara Eliya

$81 15.9% 20.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Nuwara Eliya

$9 * 1.8% 84.9% $51

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Nuwara Eliya

$1.9 * 0.4% 83.9% $10

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $25 in Nuwara Eliya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $245 per month, with Nuwara Eliya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇱🇰 Nuwara Eliya

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

15:42 3:42 PM

2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

27,500

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Sri Lankan Rupee LKR Rs

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR

1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD

1,000 LKR = 2.68 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 November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 18,140 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,384 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.91 EUR).

Sri Lankan Rupee exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 333 LKR (1,000 LKR = 3.01 USD). 1 EUR = 374 LKR (1,000 LKR = 2.68 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ubud, Bali Nuwara Eliya 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Nuwara Eliya

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 Nuwara Eliya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nuwara Eliya is about 62% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,996 in Ubud, Bali and $764 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 $492 in Ubud, Bali versus $40 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 versus $35 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $510 in Nuwara Eliya versus $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 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.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Nuwara Eliya are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.