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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $267 in Palakkad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $487 in Palakkad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $706 in Palakkad.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 425% more expensive than Palakkad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Palakkad is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$1.36 ₹129

162.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$10.28 ₹978

216.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$2.95 ₹280

64.75%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$0.88 ₹83.5

212.50%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.45 ₹43.08

193.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.18 ₹16.97

288.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.53 ₹146

90.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.30 ₹219

64.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.54 ₹51.0

216.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.49 ₹46.81

404.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.51 ₹48.08

135.29%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$0.90 ₹85.9

171.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$6.09 ₹579

136.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.41 ₹229

78.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.41 ₹134

160.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.51 ₹48.88

203.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.76 ₹72.1

267.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.51 ₹48.51

356.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.46 ₹43.60

328.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.62 ₹59.0

272.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.60 ₹57.1

76.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.33 ₹30.95

121.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.41 ₹325

-3.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$3.37 ₹321

576.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.54 ₹146

82.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$3.30 ₹313

-15.76%

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

$4.61 ₹438

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.15 ₹14.73

93.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$4.08 ₹388

97.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.48 ₹45.93

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$1.20 ₹114

420.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.21 ₹115

-29.75%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

87.00%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$23.2K ₹2.2M

36.44%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$31.08 ₹2,956

159.81%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$2.73 ₹259

48.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$7.64 ₹726

219.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$12.61 ₹1,199

674.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$7.11 ₹676

-9.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$2.58 ₹245

56.59%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$11.69 ₹1,112

2500.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$1,899 ₹180.6K

248.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$20.37 ₹1,937

166.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$15.10 ₹1,436

156.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$31.52 ₹2,997

173.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$30.52 ₹2,903

151.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$126 ₹11.9K

684.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$23.06 ₹2,193

2753.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$273 ₹26.0K

1133.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$179 ₹17.0K

1054.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$929 ₹88.3K

195.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$545 ₹51.9K

308.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$354 ₹33.7K

-53.84%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Palakkad: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $126 in Palakkad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palakkad pays 117% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Palakkad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $92.0 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 425% 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, Palakkad earns 117% less. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $126 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 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $11.69 in Palakkad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $267 in Palakkad versus $1,404 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 $267 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 425% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.