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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $721 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,075 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,429 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 95% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Al-mawsil is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

-55.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

$12.27 IQD 16.1K

163.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

$5.84 IQD 7,645

-17.12%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$0.81 IQD 1,055

239.51%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.40 IQD 517

245.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.17 IQD 224

341.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

$0.94 IQD 1,225

218.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

$1.50 IQD 1,960

156.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.85 IQD 1,112

104.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$0.80 IQD 1,049

207.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.06 IQD 1,391

10.38%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

$1.92 IQD 2,515

26.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

$7.29 IQD 9,548

98.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

$3.24 IQD 4,242

34.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

$7.05 IQD 9,229

69.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

$0.91 IQD 1,195

308.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.91 IQD 1,192

79.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

$0.81 IQD 1,061

238.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$0.39 IQD 517

474.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

$0.41 IQD 538

368.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

$0.43 IQD 562

430.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.51 IQD 669

107.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.53 IQD 700

35.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

$1.95 IQD 2,553

68.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

$12.24 IQD 16.0K

89.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

$1.39 IQD 1,825

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

$1.93 IQD 2,533

41.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,778

$0.40 IQD 520

-32.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

$31.67 IQD 41.5K

-74.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,659

$2.17 IQD 2,839

-77.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,532

$1.98 IQD 2,591

-78.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

$3.28 IQD 4,298

89.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.33 IQD 432

145.45%

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

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

$15.1K IQD 19.7M

76.63%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

$17.7K IQD 23.1M

82.24%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$99.4 IQD 130.2K

-21.18%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

$17.52 IQD 22.9K

-76.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

$27.27 IQD 35.7K

-10.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$24.23 IQD 31.7K

306.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

$18.85 IQD 24.7K

-66.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

-64.63%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$202 IQD 264.4K

51.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

$694 IQD 909.2K

856.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

$13.87 IQD 18.2K

290.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

$17.89 IQD 23.4K

111.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$82.9 IQD 108.6K

4.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$19.54 IQD 25.6K

290.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$242 IQD 316.7K

310.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$179 IQD 234.4K

275.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

$572 IQD 748.7K

490.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$339 IQD 443.7K

505.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$608 IQD 795.8K

-72.53%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $242 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 264% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $149 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 95% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 264% lower in Al-mawsil. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $242 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $202 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $721 in Al-mawsil versus $1,408 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 95% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.