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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $895 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,356 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,816 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 61% more expensive than Al-miqdadiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Al-miqdadiyah is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.57 Rp 61.9K
$7.62 IQD 9,980
-53.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.58 Rp 564.7K
$23.35 IQD 30.6K
39.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.07 Rp 87.8K
$8.84 IQD 11.6K
-42.65%
Cappuccino
$2.83 Rp 49.0K
$3.15 IQD 4,125
-10.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 Rp 23.2K
$0.52 IQD 683
157.69%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.69 Rp 12.0K
$0.22 IQD 289
213.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.99 Rp 51.8K
$2.00 IQD 2,625
49.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 Rp 66.7K
$2.05 IQD 2,683
87.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 Rp 30.2K
$1.38 IQD 1,812
26.09%
White Bread (500g)
$2.54 Rp 44.0K
$0.81 IQD 1,066
213.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 20.6K
$1.80 IQD 2,359
-33.89%
Eggs
$2.43 Rp 42.0K
$1.91 IQD 2,503
27.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.66 Rp 254.1K
$7.17 IQD 9,394
104.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.18 Rp 72.4K
$4.84 IQD 6,335
-13.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.94 Rp 206.9K
$14.37 IQD 18.8K
-16.91%
Apples (1kg)
$3.69 Rp 63.9K
$1.20 IQD 1,574
207.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.61 Rp 27.8K
$1.20 IQD 1,578
34.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.69 Rp 46.5K
$1.19 IQD 1,565
126.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 40.4K
$0.74 IQD 971
214.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 33.0K
$0.67 IQD 879
185.07%
Onion (1kg)
$2.19 Rp 37.9K
$0.71 IQD 925
208.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.06 Rp 18.3K
$0.78 IQD 1,019
35.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 Rp 12.5K
$0.52 IQD 678
38.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.13 Rp 54.3K
$2.65 IQD 3,465
18.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.49 Rp 407.1K
$12.21 IQD 16.0K
92.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 Rp 47.5K
$1.43 IQD 1,876
91.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 Rp 49.9K
$1.96 IQD 2,572
46.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.29 Rp 5,029
$0.40 IQD 520
-27.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 141.6K
$31.27 IQD 41.0K
-73.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.45 Rp 7,863
$2.25 IQD 2,952
-80.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,305
$2.24 IQD 2,932
-81.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.16 Rp 106.7K
$6.93 IQD 9,079
-11.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 14.6K
$0.65 IQD 847
29.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.2K Rp 454.9M
$18.8K IQD 24.7M
39.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.5K Rp 562.9M
$20.1K IQD 26.3M
61.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$100 IQD 131.3K
-21.76%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$3.95 Rp 68.5K
$17.72 IQD 23.2K
-77.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.40 Rp 423.0K
$29.97 IQD 39.3K
-18.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$96.5 Rp 1.7M
$36.65 IQD 48.0K
163.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.35 Rp 110.0K
$16.52 IQD 21.6K
-61.56%
Cinema Ticket
$4.04 Rp 70.0K
$11.37 IQD 14.9K
-64.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$303 Rp 5.2M
$262 IQD 343.9K
15.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,523 Rp 113.1M
$3,328 IQD 4.4M
96.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.8 Rp 933.1K
$33.09 IQD 43.4K
62.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.98 Rp 658.3K
$49.61 IQD 65.0K
-23.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.8 Rp 1.5M
$81.2 IQD 106.3K
6.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.9 Rp 1.4M
$77.6 IQD 101.7K
1.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 Rp 17.5M
$242 IQD 317.4K
317.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 11.7M
$180 IQD 236.1K
274.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,390 Rp 58.8M
$581 IQD 761.6K
483.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,098 Rp 36.4M
$340 IQD 445.9K
516.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,985 Rp 51.7M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,339 Rp 40.5M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Al-miqdadiyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$173 Rp 3.0M
-
-
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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Al-miqdadiyah: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $242 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Al-miqdadiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $196 per month, with Al-miqdadiyah 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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah?
Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $895 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Ubud, Bali compared to Al-miqdadiyah?
You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,343 in Al-miqdadiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $242 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah?
Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $262 in Al-miqdadiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $895 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-miqdadiyah but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Al-miqdadiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah?
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 Ubud, Bali or Al-miqdadiyah safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Al-miqdadiyah 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: Ubud, Bali or Al-miqdadiyah?
Expats usually find Al-miqdadiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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