Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Shimla

For one person, living is cheaper in Shimla: $310 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Shimla, India
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Shimla
🇮🇳 India
$310
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Shimla

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $310 in Shimla, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Shimla $310

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $504 in Shimla, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Shimla $504

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $698 in Shimla, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Shimla $698

Ubud, Bali costs about 335% more than Shimla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.2K
$1.56 ₹148
112.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 645.8K
$10.47 ₹994
240.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.3K
$3.09 ₹294
78.96%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$0.92 ₹87.1
195.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.8K
$0.34 ₹32.11
400.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.11 ₹10.39
590.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$1.64 ₹156
61.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.4K
$2.07 ₹196
111.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$0.67 ₹64.0
122.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.2K
$0.42 ₹40.25
442.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.63 ₹60.2
88.89%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$0.89 ₹84.9
129.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 320.8K
$4.33 ₹411
308.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.8K
$3.18 ₹302
24.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 220.9K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.2K
$1.87 ₹178
95.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$0.76 ₹71.9
100.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$0.63 ₹60.0
253.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
$0.48 ₹45.38
310.42%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.30 ₹28.64
516.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.9K
$0.36 ₹34.25
572.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.22 ₹20.93
350.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,303
$0.27 ₹25.55
88.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$3.38 ₹321
-34.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.0K
$8.57 ₹814
159.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$1.54 ₹147
46.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$2.04 ₹194
45.59%
Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)
-
$3.80 ₹361
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,548
$0.22 ₹20.92
13.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.8K
$7.84 ₹745
-0.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,964
$1.07 ₹102
-58.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,793
$0.34 ₹31.84
26.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.0K
$1.02 ₹97.2
430.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 14.9K
$1.09 ₹104
-24.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.0M
$8,462 ₹803.5K
181.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.3M
$18.1K ₹1.7M
75.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$18.17 ₹1,725
335.11%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.8K
$3.13 ₹297
106.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 336.7K
$7.02 ₹667
164.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 896.7K
$13.85 ₹1,315
257.26%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 319.8K
$10.63 ₹1,009
66.04%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.4K
$3.07 ₹291
39.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$42.11 ₹3,998
1064.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.8M
$2,173 ₹206.3K
161.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 808.9K
$24.76 ₹2,351
80.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 633.4K
$21.97 ₹2,086
59.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$39.31 ₹3,733
103.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$26.41 ₹2,508
200.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$86.4 ₹8,199
1202.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$53.3 ₹5,060
1160.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.6M
$199 ₹18.9K
1691.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.2M
$125 ₹11.9K
1279.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$563 ₹53.4K
385.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$563 ₹53.4K
305.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Shimla
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$612 ₹58.1K
-73.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
8.25
67.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Shimla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Shimla
$53 92.1% $618
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Shimla
$99 65.5% $189
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Shimla
$47 56.4% $61
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Shimla
$51 52.9% $57
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Shimla
$28 72.8% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Shimla
$20 65.6% $38
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Shimla
$11 0.4% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $86 in Shimla. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Shimla are about 3.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $10 in Shimla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $99 – making Shimla the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇳 Shimla
🕒 Local time
06:29 6:29 AM
03:59 3:59 AM
2 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
170,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

INR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 94.95 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 106 INR (1,000 INR = 9.43 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Shimla 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Shimla

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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Ubud, Bali and in Shimla compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, $310 in Shimla – Shimla comes out roughly 77% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Shimla?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $465 in Shimla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Ubud, Bali and Shimla?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shimla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $86 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $10 in Shimla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 190% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Shimla, where all-in costs run around $310, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Shimla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Ubud, Bali or Shimla?
Families tend to lean toward Shimla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Ubud, Bali or Shimla safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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