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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $380 in Varkala versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $612 in Varkala versus $2,582 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $845 in Varkala versus $3,757 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Varkala costs roughly 73% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkala is 72% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 ₹222

$3.42 Rp 58.7K

-30.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.56 ₹991

$32.96 Rp 566.5K

-67.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.65 ₹342

$5.08 Rp 87.3K

-28.15%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₹147

$2.82 Rp 48.5K

-44.68%

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

$0.41 ₹38.09

$1.37 Rp 23.5K

-70.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.82

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

-78.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ₹160

$2.97 Rp 51.0K

-42.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ₹296

$3.91 Rp 67.2K

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹66.5

$1.75 Rp 30.0K

-59.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹45.60

$2.52 Rp 43.2K

-80.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ₹66.6

$1.21 Rp 20.8K

-41.32%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹83.5

$2.33 Rp 40.1K

-61.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 ₹461

$14.50 Rp 249.2K

-66.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ₹283

$4.36 Rp 74.9K

-30.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 207.0K

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 ₹194

$3.82 Rp 65.6K

-46.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

-57.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ₹93.5

$2.70 Rp 46.5K

-62.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹46.48

$2.23 Rp 38.3K

-77.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.73

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

-80.00%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.68

$2.18 Rp 37.5K

-79.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ₹46.19

$1.03 Rp 17.7K

-52.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.52

$0.77 Rp 13.3K

-59.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹377

$3.18 Rp 54.7K

26.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 ₹677

$23.23 Rp 399.2K

-68.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₹167

$2.85 Rp 48.9K

-37.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹261

$2.72 Rp 46.7K

2.57%

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

$5.58 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.34

$0.29 Rp 5,022

3.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.64 ₹810

$8.43 Rp 144.8K

2.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₹73.5

$0.49 Rp 8,344

59.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.41

$0.45 Rp 7,812

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ₹135

$6.28 Rp 107.8K

-77.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₹110

$0.85 Rp 14.6K

37.65%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$26.1K Rp 447.8M

-46.84%

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

$22.1K ₹2.1M

$31.5K Rp 541.8M

-29.82%

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

$38.30 ₹3,595

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

-51.99%

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

$3.40 ₹320

$4.09 Rp 70.3K

-16.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.42 ₹696

$24.06 Rp 413.6K

-69.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.06 ₹1,507

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

-83.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.95 ₹652

$6.53 Rp 112.2K

6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$2.99 ₹281

$4.13 Rp 71.1K

-27.60%

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

$52.0 ₹4,876

$297 Rp 5.1M

-82.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,554 ₹145.9K

$6,661 Rp 114.5M

-76.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.28 ₹2,279

$55.0 Rp 944.5K

-55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 ₹2,404

$38.75 Rp 666.0K

-33.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.26 ₹3,966

$89.6 Rp 1.5M

-52.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.19 ₹2,834

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ₹11.8K

$1,018 Rp 17.5M

-87.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 ₹7,013

$660 Rp 11.3M

-88.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₹26.2K

$3,435 Rp 59.0M

-91.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₹16.6K

$2,053 Rp 35.3M

-91.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,073 ₹100.7K

$2,981 Rp 51.2M

-64.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 ₹56.5K

$2,368 Rp 40.7M

-74.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

13.28

-34.71%

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

Last update for Varkala: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Varkala and $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11 in Varkala vs $33 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $299 per month, with Varkala 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

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

Varkala wins on cost – living expenses run 271% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Varkala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $569 in Varkala and $2,112 in Ubud, Bali 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $126 in Varkala versus $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $52.0 in Varkala 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 182% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $380 in Varkala versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Varkala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $380 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Varkala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 271% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.