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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $272 in Palakkad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $501 in Palakkad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $730 in Palakkad.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 411% more expensive than in Palakkad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Palakkad is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$1.36 ₹130

162.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$10.67 ₹1,017

202.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$2.93 ₹280

70.99%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$0.87 ₹82.8

224.14%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.45 ₹42.63

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.15 ₹14.51

386.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.48 ₹141

97.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.27 ₹217

73.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.56 ₹53.8

217.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.49 ₹46.37

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.48 ₹45.73

139.58%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$0.84 ₹80.4

186.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$5.84 ₹557

145.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$2.38 ₹227

76.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.49 ₹142

144.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.47 ₹45.07

234.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.75 ₹71.2

272.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.51 ₹48.66

339.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.45 ₹42.86

340.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.58 ₹55.6

293.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.60 ₹57.3

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.32 ₹30.83

146.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$3.42 ₹326

-6.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$3.47 ₹331

576.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.53 ₹146

89.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$3.48 ₹332

-20.69%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.54 ₹433

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.19 ₹17.92

42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$4.08 ₹389

105.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.45 ₹43.22

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$1.19 ₹114

410.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.21 ₹115

-28.93%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$14.1K ₹1.3M

88.36%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$22.5K ₹2.1M

44.78%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$31.75 ₹3,028

148.88%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$2.73 ₹261

49.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$7.78 ₹742

206.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$12.65 ₹1,207

680.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$6.81 ₹650

-6.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$2.67 ₹255

50.19%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$11.82 ₹1,128

2414.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$1,891 ₹180.4K

249.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$20.50 ₹1,955

160.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$15.34 ₹1,463

148.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$31.89 ₹3,042

177.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$31.39 ₹2,993

144.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$124 ₹11.8K

721.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$22.98 ₹2,191

2860.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$273 ₹26.1K

1169.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$183 ₹17.4K

1043.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$996 ₹95.0K

174.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$507 ₹48.4K

352.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$344 ₹32.8K

-52.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

66.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Palakkad: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $124 in Palakkad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palakkad pays 110% 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 $11.00 in Palakkad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $91.0 per month, with Palakkad 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 Palakkad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Palakkad wins on cost – living expenses run 411% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palakkad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 110% lower in Palakkad. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $124 in Palakkad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Palakkad runs roughly 105% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $11.82 in Palakkad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $272 in Palakkad versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Palakkad but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Palakkad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Palakkad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $272 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Palakkad hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Palakkad 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 Palakkad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 411% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.