Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubai and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $2,896 in Dubai, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Dubai
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Dubai Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Dubai

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,896

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dubai 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 Dubai and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,896 in Dubai versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Dubai $2,896
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,468 in Dubai versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Dubai $4,468
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,040 in Dubai versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Dubai $6,040
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Dubai is roughly 115% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.73 AED 46.74

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

283.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 AED 299

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

128.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 AED 35.55

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

75.05%

Cappuccino

$5.97 AED 21.93

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

119.49%

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

$1.66 AED 6.10

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

-2.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 AED 3.00

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.38 AED 49.13

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

404.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$13.60 AED 49.94

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

210.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 AED 6.66

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

21.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 AED 5.68

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

-32.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.60 AED 9.57

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

118.49%

Eggs

$3.58 AED 13.16

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

75.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 AED 44.52

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

-31.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 AED 34.90

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

139.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.88 AED 51.0

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

13.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 AED 9.67

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

-28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.90 AED 6.97

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 AED 6.81

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-17.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 AED 5.51

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 AED 4.36

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 AED 3.70

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

-58.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 AED 6.10

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

67.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 AED 2.27

$0.51 Rp 9,303

21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 AED 22.42

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

175.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.08 AED 59.1

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

-27.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 AED 9.95

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

19.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 AED 11.10

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 AED 5.39

$0.25 Rp 4,548

488.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 AED 246

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

756.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 AED 12.31

$0.44 Rp 7,964

661.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.68 AED 2.48

$0.43 Rp 7,793

58.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.24 AED 30.24

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

52.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 AED 3.40

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

12.20%

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

$26.0K AED 95.5K

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

9.04%

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

$21.5K AED 79.0K

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

-32.23%

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

$248 AED 910

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

213.33%

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

$56.2 AED 206

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

770.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$93.8 AED 344

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

404.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.1 AED 335

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

84.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.35 AED 167

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

156.94%

Cinema Ticket

$16.58 AED 60.9

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

288.29%

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

$949 AED 3,486

$491 Rp 8.9M

93.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K AED 62.8K

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

201.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 AED 259

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

57.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.7 AED 227

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

76.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 AED 370

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 AED 419

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

43.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 AED 9,217

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

123.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 AED 5,644

$671 Rp 12.2M

128.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,106 AED 18.8K

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

43.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,110 AED 11.4K

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

80.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,216 AED 26.5K

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

164.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,383 AED 16.1K

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

91.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 AED 13.1K

$164 Rp 3.0M

2070.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.54

13.78

-67.05%

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

Last update for Dubai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Dubai

$1.5K 53.1%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 56.3% $865

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubai

$398 13.7%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 73.8% $294

Eating Out

Dubai

$307 10.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 64.9% $199

Groceries & Markets

Dubai

$295 10.2%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 2.1% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Dubai

$156 5.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 31.2% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Dubai

$124 4.3%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 53.3% $66

Getting Around

Dubai

$80 2.8%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 85.7% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,510 in Dubai and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dubai pays about 22 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $81 in Dubai vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $288 per month, with Ubud, Bali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇪 Dubai

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

06:53 6:53 AM

4 h ahead of Dubai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,790,000

74,800

💱 Currency

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.244 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to AED – UAE Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇪 UAE Dirham (د.إ)

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.1 AED (1 AED = 0.244 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to AED in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dubai Ubud, Bali 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubai
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

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

Ubud, Bali is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Dubai is about 22 times higher, 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: $2,510 in Dubai versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 88% less than in Dubai. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,896 per month in Dubai versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 53% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Ubud, Bali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dubai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Dubai and Ubud, Bali are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Dubai on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.