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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $378 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $606 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $834 in Varkala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 272% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.7K

$2.31 ₹220

54.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 589.5K

$10.58 ₹1,009

207.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 88.2K

$3.46 ₹330

40.46%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.8K

$1.57 ₹150

75.16%

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

$1.32 Rp 24.0K

$0.41 ₹38.81

221.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.7K

$0.16 ₹15.07

337.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.8K

$1.69 ₹161

72.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.8K

$3.02 ₹288

25.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 31.0K

$0.66 ₹62.7

159.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.9K

$0.45 ₹42.80

448.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.8K

$0.66 ₹62.9

81.82%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 44.3K

$0.90 ₹85.7

171.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 260.9K

$4.86 ₹463

195.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 78.1K

$3.03 ₹289

42.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 221.4K

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.8K

$1.97 ₹188

86.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 28.1K

$0.69 ₹65.9

124.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.5K

$0.95 ₹90.2

193.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 42.3K

$0.53 ₹50.9

339.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$0.38 ₹36.69

418.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.9K

$0.46 ₹43.99

402.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.3K

$0.49 ₹47.03

116.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.35 ₹32.99

108.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 59.5K

$3.94 ₹375

-16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 413.4K

$7.38 ₹704

208.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.9K

$1.79 ₹170

56.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 50.5K

$2.78 ₹265

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

$5.58 ₹532

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,281

$0.30 ₹28.94

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 146.2K

$8.83 ₹842

-8.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,146

$0.84 ₹80.1

-46.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,193

$0.25 ₹23.79

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 113.1K

$1.43 ₹136

336.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.4K

$1.22 ₹116

-30.33%

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

$26.0K Rp 471.2M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

86.61%

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

$31.7K Rp 574.1M

$21.9K ₹2.1M

44.80%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.5M

$38.78 ₹3,697

108.23%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.6K

$3.55 ₹338

14.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 442.9K

$7.46 ₹711

227.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.8M

$16.09 ₹1,534

507.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$6.98 ₹666

-7.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 73.3K

$2.97 ₹283

36.03%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$52.3 ₹4,989

480.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 120.1M

$1,561 ₹148.8K

324.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 983.6K

$24.20 ₹2,307

124.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 703.2K

$25.54 ₹2,435

51.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.6M

$42.00 ₹4,004

105.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$29.96 ₹2,856

155.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.9M

$122 ₹11.7K

706.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.9M

$77.7 ₹7,408

746.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 61.1M

$274 ₹26.1K

1128.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.5M

$181 ₹17.3K

1039.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.7M

$1,043 ₹99.4K

162.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 40.4M

$604 ₹57.6K

268.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.67

53.17%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Varkala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $105 per month, with Varkala 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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varkala wins on cost – living expenses run 272% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varkala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $566 in Varkala 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $52.3 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $378 in Varkala versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varkala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varkala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 272% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.