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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $380 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $612 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $845 in Varkala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 271% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

$2.37 ₹222

44.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

$10.56 ₹991

212.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

$3.65 ₹342

39.18%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

$1.56 ₹147

80.77%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

$0.41 ₹38.09

234.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.15 ₹13.82

373.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

$1.70 ₹160

74.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

$3.15 ₹296

24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

$0.71 ₹66.5

146.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

$0.49 ₹45.60

414.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

$0.71 ₹66.6

70.42%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

$0.89 ₹83.5

161.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

$4.91 ₹461

195.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

$3.02 ₹283

44.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

$2.06 ₹194

85.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$0.69 ₹65.1

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

$1.00 ₹93.5

170.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

$0.50 ₹46.48

346.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.38 ₹35.73

400.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

$0.45 ₹42.68

384.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

$0.49 ₹46.19

110.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

$0.31 ₹29.52

148.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

$4.02 ₹377

-20.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

$7.21 ₹677

222.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

$1.78 ₹167

60.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

$2.79 ₹261

-2.51%

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

$5.58 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,022

$0.30 ₹28.34

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

$8.64 ₹810

-2.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,344

$0.78 ₹73.5

-37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,812

$0.27 ₹25.41

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

$1.44 ₹135

336.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ₹110

-27.35%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

$13.9K ₹1.3M

88.10%

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

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

$22.1K ₹2.1M

42.49%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$38.30 ₹3,595

108.28%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

$3.40 ₹320

20.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

$7.42 ₹696

224.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$16.06 ₹1,507

498.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

$6.95 ₹652

-6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

$2.99 ₹281

38.13%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$52.0 ₹4,876

471.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

$1,554 ₹145.9K

328.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

$24.28 ₹2,279

126.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

$25.62 ₹2,404

51.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

$42.26 ₹3,966

112.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$30.19 ₹2,834

161.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

$126 ₹11.8K

710.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.3M

$74.7 ₹7,013

783.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

$279 ₹26.2K

1129.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

$177 ₹16.6K

1061.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

$1,073 ₹100.7K

177.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

$602 ₹56.5K

293.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Varkala: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $126 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $11 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 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 271% 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 $2,112 in Ubud, Bali and $569 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $126 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $52.0 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 $380 in Varkala versus $1,408 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 $380 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 271% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.