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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $895 in As Samawah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,362 in As Samawah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,828 in As Samawah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 57% more expensive than As Samawah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, As Samawah is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$5.25 IQD 6,880

-32.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$36.58 IQD 47.9K

-11.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$7.56 IQD 9,893

-35.71%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.08 IQD 4,032

-10.71%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.39 IQD 517

238.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.17 IQD 228

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$3.50 IQD 4,585

-16.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.93 IQD 3,832

29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.35 IQD 1,770

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.78 IQD 1,027

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.65 IQD 2,157

-27.27%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.63 IQD 2,139

49.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$4.63 IQD 6,061

210.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$4.99 IQD 6,536

-13.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$14.23 IQD 18.6K

-14.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.03 IQD 1,344

257.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.98 IQD 1,280

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.71 IQD 935

292.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.51 IQD 672

356.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.64 IQD 845

207.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.68 IQD 889

239.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.34 IQD 449

211.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.62 IQD 806

17.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.16 IQD 2,831

51.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

190.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.77 IQD 2,317

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.19 IQD 2,868

26.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.40 IQD 519

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$30.96 IQD 40.5K

-73.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$3.93 IQD 5,143

-88.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$1.49 IQD 1,952

-69.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$7.83 IQD 10.3K

-20.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.57 IQD 746

49.12%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$20.2K IQD 26.5M

28.48%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$20.2K IQD 26.5M

56.39%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$175 IQD 228.8K

-53.78%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$25.47 IQD 33.4K

-84.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$40.93 IQD 53.6K

-40.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$36.29 IQD 47.5K

169.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$16.89 IQD 22.1K

-61.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-47.46%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$164 IQD 215.1K

85.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$3,589 IQD 4.7M

84.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$28.94 IQD 37.9K

87.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$31.14 IQD 40.8K

24.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$64.0 IQD 83.8K

34.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$44.11 IQD 57.8K

73.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$242 IQD 316.6K

307.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$175 IQD 229.5K

275.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$579 IQD 758.5K

481.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$348 IQD 456.2K

493.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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 9, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $242 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $37.00 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $173, 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 57% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $1,343 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $242 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 284% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $164 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $895 in As Samawah versus $1,404 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 57% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.