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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $245 in Palakkad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $442 in Palakkad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $639 in Palakkad.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 458% more expensive than in Palakkad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Palakkad is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$1.24 ₹119

177.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$9.19 ₹881

295.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$2.66 ₹255

114.66%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$0.79 ₹76.0

237.97%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.34 ₹32.19

414.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.16 ₹14.94

443.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$1.38 ₹132

113.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.53 ₹146

195.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.47 ₹45.41

244.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.45 ₹43.14

417.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.48 ₹45.97

131.25%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.88 ₹84.7

150.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$4.24 ₹407

317.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$1.93 ₹185

112.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$1.32 ₹126

181.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.42 ₹40.59

278.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$0.69 ₹66.0

230.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.45 ₹43.18

333.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.40 ₹38.46

377.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.50 ₹47.83

366.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.50 ₹48.15

102.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.28 ₹26.57

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$2.98 ₹285

-25.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$3.41 ₹327

576.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.32 ₹126

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.01 ₹288

-0.33%

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

$4.03 ₹386

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.17 ₹16.08

58.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$3.78 ₹363

137.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$0.40 ₹38.85

20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.27 ₹26.01

59.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$2.05 ₹196

175.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.08 ₹103

-25.93%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$12.7K ₹1.2M

96.46%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$29.9K ₹2.9M

6.04%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$35.38 ₹3,394

130.24%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$2.53 ₹243

156.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$7.73 ₹742

142.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$12.86 ₹1,233

342.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$6.47 ₹620

189.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$2.14 ₹206

112.15%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$10.56 ₹1,013

4451.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$2,074 ₹199.0K

175.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$18.03 ₹1,730

152.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$13.37 ₹1,283

168.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$29.09 ₹2,791

176.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$27.40 ₹2,629

187.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$122 ₹11.7K

813.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$23.47 ₹2,252

2872.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$264 ₹25.4K

1275.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$169 ₹16.2K

928.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$966 ₹92.7K

188.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$510 ₹48.9K

349.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$366 ₹35.1K

-54.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

72.25%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Palakkad: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Palakkad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palakkad pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $9.00 in Palakkad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $78.0 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 458% 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 118% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 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 138% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $10.56 in Palakkad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $245 in Palakkad versus $1,368 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 $245 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 458% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.