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: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $382 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $603 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $823 in Varkala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 266% more expensive than in Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Varkala is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.6K

$2.40 ₹232

42.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 574.4K

$10.54 ₹1,018

203.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.8K

$3.62 ₹349

39.50%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.8K

$1.53 ₹148

77.12%

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

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$0.41 ₹39.25

239.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.16 ₹15.85

362.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 52.0K

$1.79 ₹173

61.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.1K

$3.10 ₹299

22.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$0.70 ₹67.4

155.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 45.0K

$0.45 ₹43.29

457.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$0.68 ₹65.3

77.94%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$0.91 ₹87.6

160.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 259.3K

$5.06 ₹489

185.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.6K

$2.92 ₹282

42.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.7K

$1.99 ₹192

89.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.74 ₹71.1

120.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.01 ₹97.7

168.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$0.54 ₹51.8

318.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.6K

$0.38 ₹36.80

407.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$0.43 ₹41.33

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$0.48 ₹46.38

112.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.32 ₹30.48

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.2K

$3.94 ₹380

-19.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 428.3K

$7.40 ₹714

222.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$1.76 ₹170

57.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.92 ₹282

-5.82%

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

$5.55 ₹536

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.30 ₹28.97

-10.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.3K

$8.69 ₹839

-5.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$0.78 ₹75.1

-38.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,571

$0.27 ₹26.13

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.3K

$1.42 ₹137

324.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$1.21 ₹117

-32.23%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.3M

$13.7K ₹1.3M

94.11%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.6M

$21.7K ₹2.1M

48.57%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$39.35 ₹3,799

98.86%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.3K

$3.56 ₹344

9.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 429.7K

$7.12 ₹687

235.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$16.16 ₹1,560

495.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.3K

$6.84 ₹660

-4.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

$2.92 ₹282

37.33%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$50.6 ₹4,885

498.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.7M

$1,567 ₹151.3K

317.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 993.9K

$24.37 ₹2,353

126.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 688.6K

$24.84 ₹2,398

54.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$43.10 ₹4,161

105.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$30.83 ₹2,977

148.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$126 ₹12.1K

684.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.3M

$77.2 ₹7,457

783.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.5M

$273 ₹26.4K

1152.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.3M

$182 ₹17.6K

1040.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.6M

$1,062 ₹102.6K

160.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.3M

$612 ₹59.0K

266.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Varkala: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $126 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $106 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 266% 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 $2,096 in Ubud, Bali and $573 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 $126 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $50.6 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Varkala versus $1,397 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 $382 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 266% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.