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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,929 in Ruwais versus $1,378 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,453 in Ruwais versus $2,327 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,977 in Ruwais versus $3,275 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 40% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 40% above, Ubud, Bali 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.29 AED 34.11

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

178.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.1 AED 199

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

51.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 AED 31.71

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

53.29%

Cappuccino

$4.75 AED 17.46

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

68.44%

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

$0.69 AED 2.52

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

-60.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.32 AED 1.19

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.11 AED 29.78

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

166.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.72 AED 24.68

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

56.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 AED 6.62

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

11.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 AED 5.85

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

-29.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 AED 8.53

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

98.29%

Eggs

$2.81 AED 10.30

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

29.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 AED 34.78

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

-46.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 AED 40.47

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

172.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 AED 33.45

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

-25.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 AED 10.93

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

-17.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 AED 7.24

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

20.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 AED 7.12

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

-16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 AED 5.75

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

-20.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 AED 4.16

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 AED 4.79

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

-44.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 AED 2.92

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

-24.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 AED 2.04

$0.54 Rp 9,560

3.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.24 AED 22.93

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

171.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.26 AED 45.04

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

-46.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 AED 10.01

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

16.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 AED 10.26

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

-9.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 AED 9.15

$0.25 Rp 4,365

896.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.78 AED 142

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

311.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.30 AED 8.44

$0.49 Rp 8,631

369.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 AED 4.21

$0.47 Rp 8,349

144.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 AED 28.77

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

39.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 AED 2.89

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

-2.47%

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

$44.8K AED 164.7K

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

79.30%

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

$21.7K AED 79.7K

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

-30.12%

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

$112 AED 412

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

35.49%

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

$47.44 AED 174

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

630.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.6 AED 351

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

408.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.0 AED 220

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

8.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 AED 103

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

53.71%

Cinema Ticket

$13.72 AED 50.4

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

219.07%

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

$560 AED 2,057

$494 Rp 8.7M

13.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,558 AED 27.8K

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

27.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.72 AED 161

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

-5.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 AED 201

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

50.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 AED 259

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 AED 368

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$873 AED 3,208

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

-21.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 AED 3,182

$693 Rp 12.2M

24.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 AED 6,200

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

-53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,680 AED 9,844

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

56.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,670 AED 20.8K

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

105.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,306 AED 8,468

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 AED 10.2K

$167 Rp 2.9M

1556.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-63.72%

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

Last update for Ruwais: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $873 in Ruwais and $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 1557% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $54.0 in Ruwais vs $36.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $294, with Ruwais cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Ruwais. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1557% higher in Ruwais, 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: $873 in Ruwais versus $1,114 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $560 in Ruwais versus $494 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,929 in Ruwais, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Ruwais. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,378 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ruwais 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.