🙂Monthly costs for one person with rent: $351 in Sylhet versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.
🙂Estimated couple costs with rent: $562 in Sylhet versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.
🙂Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $774 in Sylhet versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.
🙂Living in Sylhet costs roughly 76% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.
📊The two cities straddle the global median: Sylhet is 74% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.09৳256
$3.57Rp 61.9K
-41.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$10.72৳1,316
$32.58Rp 564.7K
-67.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.07৳500
$5.07Rp 87.8K
-19.72%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$4.06৳498
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35৳534
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.87৳229
$2.83Rp 49.0K
-33.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35৳42.50
$1.34Rp 23.2K
-73.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.15৳19.02
$0.69Rp 12.0K
-78.26%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.99Rp 51.8K
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.85Rp 66.7K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.76৳92.9
$1.74Rp 30.2K
-56.32%
White Bread(500g)
$0.50৳61.9
$2.54Rp 44.0K
-80.31%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.66৳80.5
$1.19Rp 20.6K
-44.54%
Eggs
$1.21৳148
$2.43Rp 42.0K
-50.21%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$6.80৳835
$14.66Rp 254.1K
-53.62%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.58৳317
$4.18Rp 72.4K
-38.28%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$6.23৳765
$11.94Rp 206.9K
-47.82%
Apples(1kg)
$2.15৳264
$3.69Rp 63.9K
-41.73%
Banana(1kg)
$1.01৳124
$1.61Rp 27.8K
-37.27%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.99৳244
$2.69Rp 46.5K
-26.02%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.51৳62.1
$2.33Rp 40.4K
-78.11%
Potato(1kg)
$0.38৳46.95
$1.91Rp 33.0K
-80.10%
Onion(1kg)
$0.66৳81.6
$2.19Rp 37.9K
-69.86%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.35৳43.56
$1.06Rp 18.3K
-66.98%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.26৳31.56
$0.72Rp 12.5K
-63.89%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
$3.77৳462
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.32৳285
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$4.51৳553
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$2.68৳330
$3.13Rp 54.3K
-14.38%
Wine(Bottle)
-
$23.49Rp 407.1K
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.74Rp 47.5K
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.88Rp 49.9K
-
🚌 Getting Around
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.39৳48.33
$0.29Rp 5,029
34.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$16.46৳2,021
$8.17Rp 141.6K
101.47%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.81৳99.1
$0.45Rp 7,863
80.00%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.35৳42.46
$0.42Rp 7,305
-16.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.45৳178
$6.16Rp 106.7K
-76.46%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.91৳112
$0.84Rp 14.6K
8.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.2K৳3.5M
$26.2KRp 454.9M
7.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K৳3.2M
$32.5KRp 562.9M
-20.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$29.98৳3,680
$78.4Rp 1.4M
-61.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$4.77৳585
$3.95Rp 68.5K
20.76%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$12.95৳1,589
$24.40Rp 423.0K
-46.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$10.12৳1,242
$96.5Rp 1.7M
-89.52%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$8.29৳1,017
$6.35Rp 110.0K
30.55%
Cinema Ticket
$4.16৳511
$4.04Rp 70.0K
2.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$36.61৳4,494
$303Rp 5.2M
-87.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$922৳113.1K
$6,523Rp 113.1M
-85.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$13.81৳1,695
$53.8Rp 933.1K
-74.35%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.97৳2,084
$37.98Rp 658.3K
-55.32%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$38.31৳4,702
$86.8Rp 1.5M
-55.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.69৳4,504
$78.9Rp 1.4M
-53.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$68.5৳8,411
$1,012Rp 17.5M
-93.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$60.7৳7,445
$674Rp 11.7M
-91.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$164৳20.1K
$3,390Rp 58.8M
-95.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$112৳13.8K
$2,098Rp 36.4M
-94.65%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$595৳73.1K
$2,985Rp 51.7M
-80.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$311৳38.2K
$2,339Rp 40.5M
-86.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sylhet
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$231৳28.4K
$173Rp 3.0M
33.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
8.83
13.28
-33.51%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sylhet: April 26, 2026
Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $68.5 in Sylhet and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Sylhet pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.
🛒Dining out: $11.00 in Sylhet vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $298 per month, with Sylhet cheaper across the board.
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
Sylhet vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sylhet and Ubud, Bali?
Sylhet and Ubud, Bali differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($351 vs $1,438 including rent). Sylhet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sylhet or Ubud, Bali?
Sylhet pays 34% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sylhet and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $68.5 in Sylhet versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 180% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Sylhet – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $351 in Sylhet versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sylhet but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sylhet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sylhet and Ubud, Bali?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Sylhet or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sylhet 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.
Where should expats move: Sylhet or Ubud, Bali?
Expats usually find Sylhet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.