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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $892 in As Samawah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,353 in As Samawah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,814 in As Samawah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 56% more expensive than in As Samawah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, As Samawah is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$5.24 IQD 6,866

-31.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$36.43 IQD 47.7K

-11.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$7.73 IQD 10.1K

-35.19%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.04 IQD 3,987

-7.24%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.37 IQD 484

264.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.20 IQD 265

265.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$3.48 IQD 4,553

-15.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.93 IQD 3,837

34.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.37 IQD 1,799

29.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.82 IQD 1,074

198.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.60 IQD 2,089

-28.13%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.64 IQD 2,146

46.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$4.60 IQD 6,022

211.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.83 IQD 6,329

-13.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$14.18 IQD 18.6K

-14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.03 IQD 1,347

253.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.02 IQD 1,339

53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.68 IQD 893

310.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.51 IQD 673

339.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.70 IQD 916

182.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.62 IQD 817

267.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.31 IQD 411

238.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.62 IQD 806

27.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.08 IQD 2,723

53.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$7.73 IQD 10.1K

203.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.80 IQD 2,352

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.07 IQD 2,716

33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.39 IQD 516

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$30.89 IQD 40.5K

-72.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$3.91 IQD 5,117

-88.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$1.54 IQD 2,021

-70.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$7.62 IQD 9,979

-20.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.56 IQD 734

53.57%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

34.76%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

64.14%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$179 IQD 234.3K

-55.84%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$26.15 IQD 34.2K

-84.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$40.39 IQD 52.9K

-40.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$36.08 IQD 47.2K

173.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$16.91 IQD 22.1K

-62.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

-47.99%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$169 IQD 220.9K

76.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$3,635 IQD 4.8M

81.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$28.02 IQD 36.7K

90.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$30.35 IQD 39.7K

25.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$63.5 IQD 83.1K

39.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$43.10 IQD 56.4K

77.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$239 IQD 312.9K

326.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$182 IQD 238.1K

274.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$579 IQD 758.4K

498.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$349 IQD 457.2K

498.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 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: July 28, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $239 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $36.00 in As Samawah. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 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 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $1,338 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $239 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 269% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $169 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $892 in As Samawah versus $1,392 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 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.