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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $304 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $512 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 373% more expensive than Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Varanasi is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$2.28 ₹216

56.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$8.82 ₹837

269.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.58 ₹340

41.62%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.55 ₹148

82.58%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.33 ₹31.34

306.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.11 ₹10.58

527.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.72 ₹163

73.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.27 ₹216

69.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.64 ₹60.6

171.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.37 ₹34.68

586.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.53 ₹50.3

124.53%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$0.95 ₹89.9

155.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$3.61 ₹343

306.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.57 ₹244

62.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.50 ₹143

146.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.66 ₹62.2

143.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.87 ₹82.3

209.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.38 ₹36.12

513.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.27 ₹25.61

607.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.27 ₹25.73

711.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.35 ₹33.19

202.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.31 ₹29.54

132.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.92 ₹277

7.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$5.66 ₹537

315.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.72 ₹163

59.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.62 ₹249

9.92%

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

$4.67 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.56 ₹53.6

-48.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$10.57 ₹1,004

-22.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.20 ₹18.97

125.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.12 ₹11.05

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$1.19 ₹113

417.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.16 ₹110

-27.59%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$14.0K ₹1.3M

87.34%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$20.6K ₹2.0M

58.04%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$13.87 ₹1,317

465.39%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$3.71 ₹352

6.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$5.50 ₹523

343.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$12.43 ₹1,180

676.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$5.83 ₹554

8.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.00 ₹285

34.67%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$56.8 ₹5,392

432.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$933 ₹88.6K

599.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$22.89 ₹2,174

135.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$24.11 ₹2,289

57.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$40.07 ₹3,804

116.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$24.97 ₹2,371

215.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$130 ₹12.3K

678.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$53.0 ₹5,033

1172.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$244 ₹23.2K

1288.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$154 ₹14.6K

1263.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$576 ₹54.7K

418.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$337 ₹31.9K

595.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$589 ₹56.0K

-70.62%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $130 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 240% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 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 373% 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 240% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $130 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $56.8 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 238% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $304 in Varanasi versus $1,438 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 $304 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 373% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.