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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,841 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,819 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,796 in Varnamo.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 24% less than in Varnamo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 4% above, Varnamo 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$12.64 SEK 119

-71.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$88.6 SEK 831

-63.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$11.82 SEK 111

-58.88%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$4.89 SEK 45.83

-43.76%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$2.90 SEK 27.24

-54.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$2.14 SEK 20.08

-67.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$8.11 SEK 76.1

-64.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$7.21 SEK 67.6

-47.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.61 SEK 15.06

6.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$2.21 SEK 20.77

11.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$2.96 SEK 27.79

-59.46%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$4.44 SEK 41.61

-45.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$13.09 SEK 123

9.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$11.54 SEK 108

-62.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$17.41 SEK 163

-29.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$3.17 SEK 29.70

16.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$2.89 SEK 27.10

-46.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.82 SEK 26.47

-1.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$4.31 SEK 40.44

-45.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.67 SEK 15.71

17.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.58 SEK 14.86

46.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$2.64 SEK 24.78

-59.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$1.28 SEK 12.02

-42.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$7.86 SEK 73.7

-58.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$11.90 SEK 112

91.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.94 SEK 18.22

44.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.22 SEK 20.81

25.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$3.29 SEK 30.82

-91.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$73.2 SEK 687

-88.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$5.66 SEK 53.1

-92.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$2.57 SEK 24.09

-82.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$62.9 SEK 590

-90.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.95 SEK 18.25

-56.41%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$33.2K SEK 311.5K

-21.78%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$34.1K SEK 319.6K

-7.08%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$122 SEK 1,143

-33.70%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$28.28 SEK 265

-85.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$41.20 SEK 387

-40.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$40.64 SEK 381

140.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$25.11 SEK 236

-74.31%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$17.74 SEK 166

-77.23%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$174 SEK 1,635

74.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$4,125 SEK 38.7K

60.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$78.6 SEK 737

-30.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$60.7 SEK 569

-36.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$104 SEK 977

-17.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$131 SEK 1,225

-41.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$852 SEK 7,988

15.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$645 SEK 6,047

2.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$1,375 SEK 12.9K

145.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$1,070 SEK 10.0K

92.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$4,312 SEK 40.4K

-36.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$3,016 SEK 28.3K

-26.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$2,115 SEK 19.8K

-92.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.8

176.67%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $852 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 1194% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $89.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $355 per month, with Ubud, Bali 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Varnamo. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Varnamo earns 1194% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $852 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $174 in Varnamo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Varnamo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,841 in Varnamo, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Varnamo. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,404 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Varnamo 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Varnamo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.