Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Abu Dhabi

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,588 in Abu Dhabi, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Abu Dhabi
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Abu Dhabi Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Abu Dhabi

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Abu Dhabi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Abu Dhabi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,588 in Abu Dhabi.

Ubud, Bali $1,348
Abu Dhabi $2,588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,950 in Abu Dhabi.

Ubud, Bali $2,312
Abu Dhabi $3,950

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $5,312 in Abu Dhabi.

Ubud, Bali $3,276
Abu Dhabi $5,312

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 48% less than in Abu Dhabi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Abu Dhabi 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$8.05 AED 29.58

-58.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

$53.7 AED 197

-34.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

$9.63 AED 35.38

-40.19%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

$5.79 AED 21.27

-54.58%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

$1.17 AED 4.28

48.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$0.44 AED 1.61

75.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$11.40 AED 41.86

-76.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

$11.76 AED 43.18

-61.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$2.00 AED 7.36

-23.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

$1.60 AED 5.89

37.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$2.27 AED 8.33

-46.26%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$3.44 AED 12.64

-37.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

$11.56 AED 42.47

53.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

$9.47 AED 34.80

-59.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

$10.21 AED 37.51

17.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

$2.51 AED 9.20

43.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$2.04 AED 7.49

-25.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$1.87 AED 6.88

24.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$1.60 AED 5.89

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.20 AED 4.40

50.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$1.21 AED 4.44

97.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.66 AED 6.08

-40.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

$0.57 AED 2.10

-8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$6.49 AED 23.83

-66.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

$13.52 AED 49.65

69.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

$2.54 AED 9.32

-5.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$2.55 AED 9.38

17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,255

$0.67 AED 2.45

-64.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

$26.63 AED 97.8

-73.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,876

$3.29 AED 12.08

-86.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,582

$0.57 AED 2.08

-26.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

$8.30 AED 30.50

-34.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$0.98 AED 3.60

-14.29%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

$29.9K AED 109.8K

-18.63%

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

$21.9K AED 80.6K

45.38%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$193 AED 708

-58.06%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

$56.8 AED 209

-88.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$88.8 AED 326

-79.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

$96.1 AED 353

-42.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

$43.64 AED 160

-57.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

$15.20 AED 55.8

-72.11%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$781 AED 2,867

-37.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

$14.9K AED 54.6K

-61.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

$62.7 AED 230

-27.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

$48.25 AED 177

-28.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$110 AED 404

-28.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$112 AED 411

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

$1,945 AED 7,143

-42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

$1,387 AED 5,095

-51.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

$3,954 AED 14.5K

-8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

$2,722 AED 9,998

-36.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

$4,896 AED 18.0K

-42.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

$2,856 AED 10.5K

-19.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$2,881 AED 10.6K

-94.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.55

202.86%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Abu Dhabi: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6%

Abu Dhabi

$1.4K 54.1% 106% $713

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4%

Abu Dhabi

$276 10.8% 4.8% $14

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Abu Dhabi

$250 9.7% 131% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Abu Dhabi

$150 5.9% 40.8% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Abu Dhabi

$338 13.2% 220% $233

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7%

Abu Dhabi

$127 4.9% 98.8% $63

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8%

Abu Dhabi

$35 1.4% 237% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $1,945 in Abu Dhabi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Abu Dhabi pays 1639% 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: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $54.0 in Abu Dhabi. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $276, with Abu Dhabi cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

12:37 12:37 PM

4 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

921,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

UAE Dirham AED د.إ

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 AED = 0.272 USD

1 AED = 0.243 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AED, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

UAE Dirham exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.67 AED (1 AED = 0.272 USD). 1 EUR = 4.12 AED (1 AED = 0.243 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Abu Dhabi 7,550 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Abu Dhabi

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

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 92% lower than in Abu Dhabi. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1639% lower in Abu Dhabi. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,945 in Abu Dhabi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 281% less than in Abu Dhabi. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $486 in Ubud, Bali versus $781 in Abu Dhabi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,588 in Abu Dhabi, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Abu Dhabi. 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 $1,348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Abu Dhabi 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 92% less than in Abu Dhabi. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.