Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dubuque, IA and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index
66

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

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Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,731 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $1,731
Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $2,538 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $2,538
Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $3,345 per month in Dubuque, IA vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Dubuque, IA $3,345
Ubud, Bali $3,241

Dubuque, IA costs about 28% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Dubuque, IA and Ubud, Bali sit above the global median – Dubuque, IA by 28%, Ubud, Bali by 0%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.85 $13.85

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

328.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.71 $49.71

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

42.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

107.02%

Cappuccino

$4.99 $4.99

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

90.46%

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

$2.02 $2.02

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

17.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

13.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

3.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-50.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

23.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

138.98%

Eggs

$2.85 $2.85

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

31.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

-20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 $10.38

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

174.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

-7.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

-23.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

41.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

28.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-28.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

142.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.53 Rp 9,509

237.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.70 $8.70

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

279.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.36 $13.36

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

-39.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

-28.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

-5.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

9.64%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

2.74%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

-23.65%

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

$176 $176

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

120.34%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

692.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

172.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.87 $36.87

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

-31.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 $8.17

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

92.24%

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

$812 $812

$493 Rp 8.9M

64.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

21.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.65 $35.65

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

10.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 $88.7

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 $985

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$725 $725

$673 Rp 12.1M

7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

-59.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 $1,201

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

-29.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

-36.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,707 $1,707

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-23.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,768 $3,768

$166 Rp 3.0M

2165.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

13.78

-61.90%

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

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9%

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7% 7.2% $52

Groceries & Markets

Dubuque, IA

$312 18%

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2% 8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1%

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8% 62.3% $174

Eating Out

Dubuque, IA

$242 14%

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9% 56% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9%

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9% 11% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1%

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6% 17.7% $9.4

Getting Around

Dubuque, IA

- * 0%

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Dubuque, IA versus $1,131 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2165% higher in Dubuque, IA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Dubuque, IA versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $312 vs $287 – making Ubud, Bali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

10:34 10:34 AM

13 h ahead of Dubuque, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,667

74,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dubuque, IA Ubud, Bali 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Dubuque, IA
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

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

Dubuque, IA costs about 28% more than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,596 per month in Dubuque, IA and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,731 in Dubuque, IA and $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. That's a gap of about 28%.

Kindergarten costs $812 per month in Dubuque, IA and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Dubuque, IA at $1,731. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Dubuque, IA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Ubud, Bali costs $1,353 versus $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dubuque, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.