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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $314 in Varanasi versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $517 in Varanasi versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $720 in Varanasi versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Varanasi costs roughly 77% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varanasi is 76% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.31 ₹221

$3.57 Rp 64.6K

-35.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.96 ₹857

$32.32 Rp 584.4K

-72.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 ₹336

$5.01 Rp 90.5K

-29.94%

Cappuccino

$1.50 ₹143

$2.82 Rp 51.1K

-46.81%

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

$0.31 ₹29.51

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-77.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ₹12.45

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

-82.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 ₹171

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-38.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 ₹222

$3.94 Rp 71.2K

-41.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.65 ₹61.8

$1.78 Rp 32.2K

-63.48%

White Bread (500g)

$0.37 ₹35.38

$2.45 Rp 44.3K

-84.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.52 ₹50.2

$1.15 Rp 20.8K

-54.78%

Eggs

$0.95 ₹90.7

$2.41 Rp 43.7K

-60.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.60 ₹344

$14.33 Rp 259.1K

-74.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.54 ₹243

$4.19 Rp 75.7K

-39.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 218.1K

Apples (1kg)

$1.52 ₹145

$3.64 Rp 65.8K

-58.24%

Banana (1kg)

$0.66 ₹63.2

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-57.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.88 ₹83.8

$2.79 Rp 50.4K

-68.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.39 ₹36.85

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-82.59%

Potato (1kg)

$0.29 ₹27.94

$1.98 Rp 35.8K

-85.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.27 ₹25.91

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-88.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ₹33.26

$1.05 Rp 19.1K

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₹27.47

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-63.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.90 ₹278

$3.19 Rp 57.7K

-9.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.84 ₹559

$23.49 Rp 424.8K

-75.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 ₹157

$2.90 Rp 52.4K

-43.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ₹251

$2.76 Rp 49.8K

-5.07%

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

$4.67 ₹447

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 ₹56.6

$0.27 Rp 4,821

118.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.66 ₹1,019

$8.37 Rp 151.3K

27.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.20 ₹19.10

$0.45 Rp 8,180

-55.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.11 ₹10.70

$0.46 Rp 8,311

-76.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ₹112

$6.07 Rp 109.7K

-80.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 ₹111

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

34.88%

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

$14.1K ₹1.4M

$26.6K Rp 480.7M

-46.88%

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

$21.3K ₹2.0M

$32.5K Rp 588.6M

-34.69%

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

$13.81 ₹1,321

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

-82.52%

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

$3.54 ₹338

$4.09 Rp 74.0K

-13.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.59 ₹534

$23.85 Rp 431.2K

-76.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.28 ₹1,174

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-87.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.85 ₹559

$6.35 Rp 114.9K

-7.87%

Cinema Ticket

$2.97 ₹284

$4.01 Rp 72.5K

-25.94%

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

$57.5 ₹5,499

$297 Rp 5.4M

-80.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$926 ₹88.6K

$6,602 Rp 119.4M

-85.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.97 ₹2,197

$53.4 Rp 966.0K

-57.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.51 ₹2,344

$38.11 Rp 689.2K

-35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$41.19 ₹3,939

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-53.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.96 ₹2,387

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-67.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$127 ₹12.2K

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-87.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$52.5 ₹5,022

$680 Rp 12.3M

-92.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ₹24.1K

$3,469 Rp 62.7M

-92.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$158 ₹15.1K

$2,090 Rp 37.8M

-92.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$558 ₹53.4K

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

-79.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$331 ₹31.7K

$2,295 Rp 41.5M

-85.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$572 ₹54.7K

$164 Rp 3.0M

249.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.72

13.28

-34.34%

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

Last update for Varanasi: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $127 in Varanasi and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varanasi pays 250% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $9.00 in Varanasi vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $88.0 vs $298 per month, with Varanasi 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

Varanasi vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varanasi wins on cost – living expenses run 344% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varanasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 250% higher in Varanasi, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $127 in Varanasi versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $57.5 in Varanasi versus $297 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 239% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $314 in Varanasi versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varanasi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $314 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varanasi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varanasi and Ubud, Bali 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.