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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Trincomalee.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $847 in Trincomalee.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,176 in Trincomalee.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 170% more expensive than in Trincomalee, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Trincomalee is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$3.94 LKR 1,325

-12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$25.04 LKR 8,417

27.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$8.55 LKR 2,876

-40.94%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$2.64 LKR 889

2.65%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.74 LKR 250

87.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.38 LKR 126

94.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$2.33 LKR 783

24.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.44 LKR 1,157

10.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.76 LKR 590

1.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$0.56 LKR 188

348.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$0.86 LKR 290

40.70%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$2.18 LKR 734

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$14.30 LKR 4,809

0.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$4.80 LKR 1,612

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$8.21 LKR 2,760

47.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$7.64 LKR 2,569

-50.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.11 LKR 374

46.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$5.63 LKR 1,891

-51.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$1.22 LKR 409

85.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$1.12 LKR 376

72.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$1.35 LKR 455

62.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$1.14 LKR 383

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.60 LKR 203

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$10.02 LKR 3,368

-68.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$12.53 LKR 4,211

90.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$2.03 LKR 682

36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.87 LKR 965

-4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$0.39 LKR 130

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$0.36 LKR 120

16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$0.62 LKR 208

872.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.21 LKR 407

-32.23%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$26.3K LKR 8.8M

0.91%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$34.7K LKR 11.7M

-7.12%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$59.9 LKR 20.1K

30.72%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$4.44 LKR 1,494

-11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$15.38 LKR 5,169

55.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$3.31 LKR 1,114

21.15%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$36.66 LKR 12.3K

725.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$443 LKR 148.9K

1379.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$27.50 LKR 9,243

101.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$19.27 LKR 6,476

98.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$69.1 LKR 23.2K

28.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$38.22 LKR 12.8K

100.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.45

-19.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Trincomalee: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Trincomalee for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $259 per month, with Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trincomalee is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 170% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $776 in Trincomalee 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 $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $36.66 in Trincomalee. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Trincomalee – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $517 in Trincomalee versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Trincomalee but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Trincomalee the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Trincomalee is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Trincomalee 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 Trincomalee gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.