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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $289 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $472 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $656 in Varanasi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 374% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Varanasi is 79% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$1.81 ₹174

90.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.5K

$7.95 ₹763

356.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.3K

$3.03 ₹291

88.45%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$1.59 ₹153

67.92%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.1K

$0.34 ₹32.94

414.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.09 ₹8.63

866.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$1.54 ₹147

91.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.2K

$2.07 ₹199

118.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.60 ₹57.6

170.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.28 ₹26.44

732.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.7K

$0.53 ₹50.5

109.43%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.1K

$0.86 ₹82.0

155.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 314.0K

$3.02 ₹289

485.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$2.23 ₹214

83.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.8K

$1.36 ₹131

172.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$0.62 ₹59.4

156.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$0.86 ₹82.1

165.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.7K

$0.35 ₹33.23

457.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$0.23 ₹22.00

730.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.4K

$0.25 ₹24.06

832.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$0.42 ₹39.91

140.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,795

$0.28 ₹27.04

96.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$3.19 ₹306

-30.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.5K

$5.81 ₹557

297.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$1.64 ₹157

47.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.2K

$2.33 ₹224

28.76%

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

$3.96 ₹380

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,825

$0.51 ₹48.68

-47.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.4K

$9.42 ₹904

-4.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,586

$0.18 ₹17.64

166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,697

$0.11 ₹10.70

290.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$1.06 ₹102

432.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$1.08 ₹104

-25.93%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.7M

$12.4K ₹1.2M

100.45%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.8M

$18.6K ₹1.8M

70.48%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$12.38 ₹1,187

558.00%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$3.55 ₹340

82.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 333.1K

$6.79 ₹651

176.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$11.05 ₹1,060

414.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.4K

$5.08 ₹488

268.70%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$2.84 ₹273

59.86%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$38.48 ₹3,691

1149.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.4M

$981 ₹94.1K

481.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.9K

$20.95 ₹2,010

117.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.9K

$24.64 ₹2,363

45.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$36.38 ₹3,490

120.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$25.89 ₹2,484

203.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$111 ₹10.6K

905.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$47.87 ₹4,592

1357.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$195 ₹18.7K

1760.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$140 ₹13.5K

1138.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$568 ₹54.5K

390.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$339 ₹32.5K

575.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$581 ₹55.7K

-71.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.53

61.55%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $111 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 246% 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 $8.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $81.0 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 374% 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 246% 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $111 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $38.48 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 265% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $289 in Varanasi versus $1,368 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 $289 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 374% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.