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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $525 in Vavuniya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $848 in Vavuniya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,172 in Vavuniya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 167% more expensive than Vavuniya, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Vavuniya is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$4.05 LKR 1,350

-11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$16.45 LKR 5,487

97.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$8.23 LKR 2,745

-40.95%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.75 LKR 918

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.42 LKR 140

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.32 LKR 106

118.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.32 LKR 773

25.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$3.33 LKR 1,112

13.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.78 LKR 595

-3.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.56 LKR 187

341.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.87 LKR 289

37.93%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.12 LKR 708

15.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$14.12 LKR 4,710

1.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$4.61 LKR 1,536

-6.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$8.13 LKR 2,712

50.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$7.66 LKR 2,556

-51.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.07 LKR 356

44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$5.87 LKR 1,959

-52.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.21 LKR 402

92.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.16 LKR 386

69.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.40 LKR 468

65.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.15 LKR 382

-7.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.57 LKR 190

28.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$10.03 LKR 3,345

-67.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$12.67 LKR 4,228

79.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.09 LKR 696

34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.95 LKR 982

-5.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.42 LKR 140

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.33 LKR 110

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$0.57 LKR 189

994.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.25 LKR 416

-32.00%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$27.2K LKR 9.1M

-4.66%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$34.6K LKR 11.5M

-8.56%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$60.8 LKR 20.3K

32.77%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$4.23 LKR 1,410

-4.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$14.95 LKR 4,988

63.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$3.31 LKR 1,105

22.05%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$36.70 LKR 12.2K

728.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$446 LKR 148.6K

1386.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$27.31 LKR 9,111

98.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$19.10 LKR 6,371

103.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.0 LKR 23.3K

23.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$38.53 LKR 12.9K

98.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Vavuniya: June 8, 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 $297 vs $259 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 167% 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 $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $788 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 15% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $525 in Vavuniya – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $525 in Vavuniya versus $1,404 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 $525 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 167% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.