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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $307 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $511 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $714 in Varanasi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 354% more expensive than Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Varanasi is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$2.38 ₹225

42.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$8.60 ₹813

276.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$3.39 ₹321

47.49%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$1.53 ₹145

84.31%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.31 ₹29.28

345.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.12 ₹11.34

508.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$1.71 ₹162

74.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$2.27 ₹214

74.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$0.65 ₹61.4

175.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.36 ₹34.35

583.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$0.52 ₹49.04

130.77%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$0.89 ₹84.2

168.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$3.60 ₹340

300.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$2.57 ₹243

66.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.53 ₹145

147.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$0.65 ₹61.2

150.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$0.92 ₹87.3

204.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$0.36 ₹34.02

527.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$0.29 ₹27.69

589.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$0.25 ₹23.55

784.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$0.35 ₹33.11

205.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.29 ₹26.98

162.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$2.83 ₹267

10.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$5.66 ₹536

320.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$1.74 ₹164

63.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.59 ₹245

7.34%

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

$4.65 ₹440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.61 ₹57.3

-55.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$10.37 ₹981

-19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$0.22 ₹20.83

104.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.12 ₹10.97

258.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$1.18 ₹111

406.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.21 ₹115

-33.88%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

85.27%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$21.2K ₹2.0M

49.79%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$13.93 ₹1,318

479.61%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$3.64 ₹344

13.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$5.37 ₹508

349.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$12.36 ₹1,170

690.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$5.85 ₹554

13.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$3.00 ₹284

34.67%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$58.1 ₹5,500

410.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$927 ₹87.7K

610.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$23.35 ₹2,209

136.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$24.60 ₹2,327

56.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$41.36 ₹3,913

108.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$25.04 ₹2,368

211.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$126 ₹11.9K

682.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$52.7 ₹4,990

1160.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$251 ₹23.7K

1273.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$157 ₹14.8K

1203.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$579 ₹54.8K

388.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$347 ₹32.8K

557.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$590 ₹55.8K

-71.30%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $126 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 248% 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 $299 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 354% 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, Varanasi earns 248% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $126 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $58.1 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 241% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Varanasi versus $1,394 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 $307 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 354% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.