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: $1,655 in Ruwais versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,507 in Ruwais versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,360 in Ruwais versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Ruwais is roughly 18% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ruwais 24% above, Ubud, Bali 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.73 AED 24.71

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

95.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.83 AED 139

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 AED 28.70

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

61.36%

Cappuccino

$4.74 AED 17.41

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

72.36%

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

$0.77 AED 2.82

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-44.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 AED 1.37

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-50.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.56 AED 38.80

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

253.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.43 AED 34.62

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

144.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 AED 6.73

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

5.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 AED 5.44

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-39.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 AED 7.08

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

64.96%

Eggs

$3.12 AED 11.46

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

28.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.75 AED 10.09

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

-81.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 AED 27.77

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

73.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 AED 24.92

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

-43.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 AED 10.57

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

-22.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 AED 6.13

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

2.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 AED 5.14

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

-48.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.85 AED 3.13

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-62.05%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 AED 2.40

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

-66.15%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 AED 1.46

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

-82.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 AED 5.88

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

50.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 AED 2.41

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.70 AED 24.60

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

103.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 AED 45.33

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-46.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 AED 4.94

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-51.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 AED 9.81

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

-2.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 AED 6.04

$0.27 Rp 4,778

507.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 AED 192

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

543.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 AED 10.19

$0.48 Rp 8,659

477.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.65 AED 2.38

$0.42 Rp 7,532

54.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.32 AED 30.57

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

33.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 AED 2.74

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-7.41%

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

$46.0K AED 169.0K

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

72.94%

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

$22.3K AED 81.8K

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-30.81%

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

$92.0 AED 338

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

17.36%

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

$52.2 AED 192

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

1183.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.0 AED 353

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

294.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.4 AED 236

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.25 AED 144

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

519.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 AED 42.23

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

188.22%

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

$586 AED 2,154

$305 Rp 5.5M

92.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,814 AED 14.0K

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

-42.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$21.81 AED 80.1

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

-59.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.8 AED 297

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

113.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 AED 294

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.2 AED 199

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

-29.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$747 AED 2,743

$992 Rp 17.8M

-24.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 AED 2,753

$673 Rp 12.1M

11.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,472 AED 9,080

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-26.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 AED 4,935

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-34.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,008 AED 18.4K

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

78.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 AED 8,812

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

7.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,753 AED 10.1K

$167 Rp 3.0M

1549.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

13.28

-64.53%

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

Last update for Ruwais: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $747 in Ruwais and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 1549% 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: $38.00 in Ruwais vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $208 vs $297, 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 18% 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 1549% 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: $747 in Ruwais versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $586 in Ruwais versus $305 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 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,655 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 $1,408 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 18% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.