Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ba'qubah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $643 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $991 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,339 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 117% more expensive than in Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Ba'qubah is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$5.05 IQD 6,612

-29.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$15.29 IQD 20.0K

111.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$6.68 IQD 8,747

-25.00%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.17 IQD 1,536

141.03%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.52 IQD 687

159.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.17 IQD 224

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.88 IQD 2,464

55.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.11 IQD 2,766

86.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.13 IQD 1,482

57.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.59 IQD 770

315.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.17 IQD 1,527

-1.71%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.46 IQD 1,914

65.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$2.29 IQD 2,994

525.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$2.52 IQD 3,298

66.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$10.62 IQD 13.9K

13.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$0.99 IQD 1,297

267.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.12 IQD 1,464

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.00 IQD 1,306

179.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.55 IQD 719

307.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.55 IQD 725

260.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.64 IQD 840

256.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.49 IQD 642

114.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.21 IQD 271

276.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.72 IQD 3,559

17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$12.27 IQD 16.1K

91.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.42 IQD 1,863

104.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.02 IQD 2,650

36.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.39 IQD 517

-30.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$30.62 IQD 40.1K

-72.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$2.31 IQD 3,027

-80.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$2.02 IQD 2,645

-77.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$5.30 IQD 6,938

14.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.35 IQD 459

145.71%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$19.5K IQD 25.5M

36.37%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

57.67%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$57.9 IQD 75.8K

36.55%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$17.57 IQD 23.0K

-76.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$27.17 IQD 35.6K

-12.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$19.07 IQD 25.0K

417.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

-61.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$3.87 IQD 5,073

3.62%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$26.35 IQD 34.5K

1028.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$638 IQD 835.4K

934.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$18.85 IQD 24.7K

183.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$18.86 IQD 24.7K

102.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$81.0 IQD 106.1K

9.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$26.53 IQD 34.7K

188.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$246 IQD 322.7K

313.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$180 IQD 235.3K

278.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$584 IQD 765.3K

493.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$341 IQD 446.9K

512.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$755 IQD 988.8K

261.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$187 IQD 245.2K

1125.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$726 IQD 951.2K

-77.47%

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 Ba'qubah: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 344% 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 $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $141 per month, with Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 344% lower in Ba'qubah. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $246 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $643 in Ba'qubah versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.