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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $386 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $615 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $844 in Varkala.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 257% more expensive than in Varkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$2.35 ₹225

41.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$10.43 ₹996

243.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$3.59 ₹343

56.82%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$1.57 ₹150

79.62%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.40 ₹38.48

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.16 ₹14.94

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$1.71 ₹164

77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$3.07 ₹293

40.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$0.65 ₹62.0

147.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$0.48 ₹46.27

372.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$0.70 ₹67.1

67.14%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$0.93 ₹89.3

133.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$4.88 ₹466

261.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$2.92 ₹279

38.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$1.98 ₹189

82.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$0.69 ₹66.0

137.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$0.96 ₹91.6

140.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$0.53 ₹51.1

269.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$0.38 ₹36.66

384.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$0.45 ₹43.36

426.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.48 ₹45.99

118.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.31 ₹29.95

74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$3.88 ₹370

-40.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$7.22 ₹690

219.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.79 ₹171

30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.90 ₹277

5.86%

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

$5.47 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$0.30 ₹28.81

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$8.65 ₹827

8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$0.78 ₹74.3

-37.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$0.25 ₹23.81

88.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$1.47 ₹140

280.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$1.18 ₹112

-31.36%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$14.0K ₹1.3M

78.27%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$21.8K ₹2.1M

42.76%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$39.46 ₹3,770

109.63%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$3.38 ₹323

92.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$7.30 ₹698

157.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$16.07 ₹1,535

243.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$7.17 ₹685

153.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$2.93 ₹280

46.76%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$52.0 ₹4,963

851.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$1,557 ₹148.7K

280.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$24.07 ₹2,299

92.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$24.95 ₹2,384

46.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$42.27 ₹4,038

90.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$30.11 ₹2,876

161.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$122 ₹11.7K

811.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$75.2 ₹7,185

821.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$276 ₹26.4K

1216.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$182 ₹17.4K

842.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$1,052 ₹100.5K

162.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$603 ₹57.6K

280.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

8.67

58.94%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Varkala: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $122 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 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 257% 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 $2,067 in Ubud, Bali and $578 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $122 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 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 181% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $386 in Varkala versus $1,378 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 $386 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 257% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.