Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and As Samawah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and As Samawah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $886 in As Samawah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,349 in As Samawah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,813 in As Samawah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 62% more expensive than As Samawah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, As Samawah is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$5.37 IQD 7,038

-33.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$35.74 IQD 46.8K

-8.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$7.63 IQD 10.0K

-33.55%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.00 IQD 3,925

-5.67%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.39 IQD 513

243.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.17 IQD 216

305.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$3.51 IQD 4,594

-14.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.91 IQD 3,816

32.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.31 IQD 1,719

32.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.82 IQD 1,080

209.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.63 IQD 2,136

-26.99%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.61 IQD 2,110

50.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$4.39 IQD 5,746

233.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$5.06 IQD 6,625

-17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

-13.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.02 IQD 1,333

261.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.99 IQD 1,294

62.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.69 IQD 903

289.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.49 IQD 639

375.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.66 IQD 862

189.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.63 IQD 822

247.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.32 IQD 418

231.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.67 IQD 878

7.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.11 IQD 2,765

48.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$7.59 IQD 9,945

209.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.84 IQD 2,413

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.18 IQD 2,858

32.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.40 IQD 521

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$31.26 IQD 40.9K

-73.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$3.73 IQD 4,885

-87.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.54 IQD 2,019

-72.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-19.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.54 IQD 704

55.56%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

31.38%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$20.1K IQD 26.3M

61.90%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$176 IQD 230.0K

-55.33%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$25.49 IQD 33.4K

-84.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$40.86 IQD 53.5K

-40.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$37.44 IQD 49.0K

157.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

-61.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

-48.34%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$166 IQD 217.7K

82.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$3,567 IQD 4.7M

82.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$28.20 IQD 36.9K

90.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$31.03 IQD 40.6K

22.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$65.3 IQD 85.5K

32.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$43.89 IQD 57.5K

79.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$243 IQD 318.0K

317.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$176 IQD 230.2K

283.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$576 IQD 755.1K

488.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$347 IQD 455.0K

504.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

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 As Samawah: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $243 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $172, with As Samawah cheaper for home cooking.

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,158 in Ubud, Bali and $1,329 in As Samawah 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $243 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 283% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $166 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $886 in As Samawah versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, As Samawah 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 As Samawah 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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.