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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $531 in Vavuniya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $838 in Vavuniya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,146 in Vavuniya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 162% more expensive than in Vavuniya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Vavuniya is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$4.05 LKR 1,358

-11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$16.49 LKR 5,535

96.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$8.45 LKR 2,834

-40.71%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.63 LKR 881

7.22%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.41 LKR 138

229.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.32 LKR 106

128.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.36 LKR 792

24.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.29 LKR 1,104

19.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.77 LKR 593

0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.51 LKR 173

380.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.80 LKR 268

43.75%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.18 LKR 732

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$14.28 LKR 4,792

0.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.76 LKR 1,598

-11.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$8.23 LKR 2,760

46.54%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$7.45 LKR 2,500

-51.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.12 LKR 376

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$5.95 LKR 1,996

-53.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.25 LKR 420

79.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$1.15 LKR 386

72.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.43 LKR 480

59.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$1.14 LKR 384

-7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.61 LKR 203

29.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$10.15 LKR 3,405

-68.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$12.74 LKR 4,274

84.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.11 LKR 708

37.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.93 LKR 983

-5.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.38 LKR 128

18.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.33 LKR 111

39.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$0.61 LKR 206

895.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.26 LKR 422

-31.75%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$26.8K LKR 9.0M

-0.97%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$34.4K LKR 11.6M

-5.45%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$60.9 LKR 20.4K

29.80%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$4.21 LKR 1,413

-2.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$15.34 LKR 5,146

55.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$3.32 LKR 1,114

20.78%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$36.13 LKR 12.1K

722.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$434 LKR 145.7K

1420.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$27.41 LKR 9,196

94.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$19.23 LKR 6,453

98.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$70.7 LKR 23.7K

25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$38.66 LKR 13.0K

98.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Vavuniya: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Vavuniya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $260 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 162% 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 $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $796 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 14% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $531 in Vavuniya – a 162% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $531 in Vavuniya versus $1,392 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 $531 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 162% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.