Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bahir Dar and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Bahir Dar: $375 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bahir Dar
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$375
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bahir Dar and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bahir Dar and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $375 per month in Bahir Dar vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $375
  • Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $569 per month in Bahir Dar vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $569
  • Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $763 per month in Bahir Dar vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Bahir Dar $763
  • Ubud, Bali $3,260

Bahir Dar is about 73% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bahir Dar sits 72% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.51 ETB 564
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
5.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
-
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
-
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
-
Cappuccino
$0.99 ETB 159
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
-63.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 ETB 66.0
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
-75.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.52 ETB 83.9
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
-37.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$0.72 ETB 116
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-73.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 ETB 323
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
-53.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.99 ETB 158
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
-34.00%
White Bread (500g)
$0.98 ETB 157
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
-57.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.03 ETB 165
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
-12.71%
Eggs
$1.72 ETB 276
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
-19.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
-
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.04 ETB 1,612
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
-17.91%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 ETB 468
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
-17.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 ETB 164
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
-35.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.05 ETB 329
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
-8.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.83 ETB 133
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
-56.99%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 ETB 101
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
-66.49%
Onion (1kg)
$1.12 ETB 180
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
-51.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 ETB 164
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
3.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 ETB 82.2
$0.53 Rp 9,475
-3.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
-
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
-
Wine (Bottle)
$3.90 ETB 626
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
-83.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.84 ETB 134
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
-64.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 ETB 316
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
-32.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.24 Rp 4,315
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.48 Rp 8,684
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.48 ETB 76.9
$0.46 Rp 8,233
4.35%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.02 ETB 324
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
-62.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 ETB 164
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
15.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$102 ETB 16.4K
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
22.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.82 ETB 1,576
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
52.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.9 ETB 8,167
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
-8.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$60.5 ETB 9,711
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
234.12%
Cinema Ticket
$5.90 ETB 947
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
34.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$49.85 ETB 8,001
$493 Rp 8.9M
-89.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.1 ETB 8,032
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
8.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$676 Rp 12.2M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,988 ETB 319.1K
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
-28.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,476 ETB 237.0K
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-34.11%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bahir Dar
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$200 ETB 32.1K
$165 Rp 3.0M
21.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
13.78
-

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

Last update for Bahir Dar: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$676
Groceries & Markets
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$290
Eating Out
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$108
Clothing & Footwear
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$108
Sport & Entertainment
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$65
Getting Around
Bahir Dar
–
Ubud, Bali
$13

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 22% higher in Bahir Dar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know
🇪🇹 Bahir Dar
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
18:52 6:52 PM
23:52 11:52 PM
5 h ahead of Bahir Dar
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
350,000
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to ETB – Ethiopian Birr Converter

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bahir Dar Ubud, Bali 8,890 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bahir Dar
  • Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Bahir Dar vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Bahir Dar or Ubud, Bali?
Ubud, Bali costs about 265% more than Bahir Dar, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Bahir Dar and in Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $562 per month in Bahir Dar and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does it cost to live in Bahir Dar compared to Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $375 in Bahir Dar and $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 265%.
Are groceries more expensive in Bahir Dar or in Ubud, Bali?
Groceries cost about 134% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Bahir Dar or in Ubud, Bali?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bahir Dar, where all-in costs run around $375, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Bahir Dar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Bahir Dar or Ubud, Bali?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bahir Dar costs $375 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Bahir Dar compared to Ubud, Bali?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Bahir Dar or to Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Bahir Dar. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Bahir Dar vs other spots: cost of living compared

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