Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Al-mawsil Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Al-mawsil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $734 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,085 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,437 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Al-mawsil is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$7.47 IQD 9,781

-52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$12.10 IQD 15.8K

170.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$5.87 IQD 7,683

-15.67%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$0.75 IQD 977

261.33%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.36 IQD 473

272.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.17 IQD 218

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$0.91 IQD 1,198

220.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$1.48 IQD 1,944

167.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.92 IQD 1,207

96.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.75 IQD 976

236.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.05 IQD 1,378

10.48%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.97 IQD 2,578

24.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$7.27 IQD 9,521

102.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$3.30 IQD 4,326

30.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$7.12 IQD 9,320

70.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$0.92 IQD 1,203

317.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$0.86 IQD 1,126

81.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$0.77 IQD 1,012

267.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.37 IQD 479

529.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.41 IQD 543

365.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.46 IQD 601

378.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.52 IQD 679

94.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.48 IQD 635

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$1.90 IQD 2,492

74.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

94.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.37 IQD 1,799

103.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.92 IQD 2,518

48.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.37 IQD 482

-27.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$31.22 IQD 40.9K

-74.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$2.18 IQD 2,850

-78.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$2.02 IQD 2,646

-77.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$3.35 IQD 4,391

82.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.35 IQD 461

125.71%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$15.6K IQD 20.4M

67.54%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$17.7K IQD 23.2M

81.64%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$99.0 IQD 129.6K

-19.24%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$17.96 IQD 23.5K

-77.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$26.95 IQD 35.3K

-12.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$23.87 IQD 31.3K

313.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$18.75 IQD 24.6K

-64.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$11.49 IQD 15.0K

-63.88%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$198 IQD 258.7K

53.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$701 IQD 917.6K

843.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$14.06 IQD 18.4K

295.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$17.51 IQD 22.9K

118.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$82.0 IQD 107.4K

8.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$19.05 IQD 24.9K

308.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$241 IQD 316.0K

317.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$177 IQD 231.4K

282.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$585 IQD 765.8K

488.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$349 IQD 457.4K

483.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$607 IQD 795.3K

-72.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.67

134.22%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 268% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $148 per month, with Al-mawsil 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

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

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al-mawsil earns 268% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Al-mawsil versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Al-mawsil 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 Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.