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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $314 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $517 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 344% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Varanasi is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$2.31 ₹220

54.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$8.96 ₹855

260.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$3.51 ₹335

42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.50 ₹143

88.00%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.31 ₹29.43

335.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.13 ₹12.42

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.79 ₹171

63.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.32 ₹221

69.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.65 ₹61.7

173.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.37 ₹35.28

562.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.52 ₹50.1

121.15%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$0.95 ₹90.4

153.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$3.60 ₹343

298.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$2.54 ₹242

64.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.52 ₹145

139.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.66 ₹63.0

137.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.88 ₹83.5

217.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.39 ₹36.74

474.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.29 ₹27.87

582.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.27 ₹25.84

744.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.35 ₹33.16

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.29 ₹27.40

172.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.90 ₹277

10.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$5.84 ₹557

302.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.64 ₹157

76.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.62 ₹250

5.34%

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

$4.67 ₹445

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.59 ₹56.5

-54.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$10.66 ₹1,016

-21.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.20 ₹19.05

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.11 ₹10.67

318.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$1.17 ₹112

418.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.16 ₹110

-25.86%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$14.1K ₹1.3M

88.25%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$21.3K ₹2.0M

53.11%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$13.81 ₹1,317

472.19%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$3.54 ₹338

15.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$5.59 ₹533

326.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$12.28 ₹1,171

704.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$5.85 ₹558

8.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$2.97 ₹283

35.02%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$57.5 ₹5,484

416.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$926 ₹88.3K

612.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$22.97 ₹2,191

132.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$24.51 ₹2,338

55.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$41.19 ₹3,928

115.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$24.96 ₹2,380

206.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$127 ₹12.1K

700.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$52.5 ₹5,007

1195.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$252 ₹24.0K

1277.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$158 ₹15.0K

1226.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$558 ₹53.3K

388.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$331 ₹31.6K

592.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$572 ₹54.6K

-71.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.72

52.29%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $127 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 250% 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 $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $88.0 per month, with Varanasi 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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varanasi wins on cost – living expenses run 344% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varanasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 250% lower in Varanasi. 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 $127 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $57.5 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 239% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $314 in Varanasi versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varanasi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $314 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varanasi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Varanasi 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.