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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $526 in Vavuniya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $838 in Vavuniya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,149 in Vavuniya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 173% more expensive than Vavuniya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Vavuniya is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$4.06 LKR 1,295

-12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$16.48 LKR 5,255

97.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$8.27 LKR 2,637

-38.69%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.63 LKR 840

7.60%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.41 LKR 132

226.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.34 LKR 109

102.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.29 LKR 730

30.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$3.33 LKR 1,063

15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.77 LKR 565

-1.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.56 LKR 178

353.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.88 LKR 280

35.23%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.22 LKR 709

9.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$14.21 LKR 4,532

3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$4.71 LKR 1,503

-11.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$7.96 LKR 2,540

50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$7.54 LKR 2,405

-51.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.08 LKR 343

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$5.71 LKR 1,822

-52.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.20 LKR 384

94.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.11 LKR 355

72.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.36 LKR 435

61.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.14 LKR 364

-7.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.60 LKR 190

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$10.02 LKR 3,197

-68.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$12.33 LKR 3,931

90.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.02 LKR 643

35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.87 LKR 915

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.42 LKR 133

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.33 LKR 105

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$0.58 LKR 184

962.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.26 LKR 402

-33.33%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$26.9K LKR 8.6M

-2.42%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$35.0K LKR 11.2M

-7.19%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$59.3 LKR 18.9K

32.20%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.26 LKR 1,358

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$15.36 LKR 4,898

58.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.38 LKR 1,078

19.53%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$37.46 LKR 11.9K

707.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$445 LKR 141.8K

1367.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$27.93 LKR 8,908

92.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$19.54 LKR 6,230

94.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$70.3 LKR 22.4K

23.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.52 LKR 12.3K

104.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

16.45

-19.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Vavuniya: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Vavuniya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $257 per month, with Vavuniya 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 Vavuniya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vavuniya wins on cost – living expenses run 173% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vavuniya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $789 in Vavuniya 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $526 in Vavuniya – a 173% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $526 in Vavuniya versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vavuniya but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Vavuniya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Vavuniya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $526 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vavuniya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Vavuniya 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 Vavuniya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 173% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.