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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $658 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $989 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,320 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 113% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Ba'qubah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$4.84 IQD 6,342

-26.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

110.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$6.45 IQD 8,452

-24.65%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.16 IQD 1,521

137.07%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.52 IQD 682

153.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.22 IQD 286

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.93 IQD 2,523

50.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.13 IQD 2,786

77.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.18 IQD 1,546

44.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.59 IQD 772

318.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.12 IQD 1,461

7.14%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.41 IQD 1,852

73.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$2.23 IQD 2,923

544.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.52 IQD 3,297

71.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$10.81 IQD 14.2K

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$0.99 IQD 1,296

271.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.18 IQD 1,542

31.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.98 IQD 1,283

184.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.55 IQD 721

323.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.55 IQD 714

258.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.65 IQD 846

255.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.46 IQD 606

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.17 IQD 216

329.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.62 IQD 3,425

25.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$12.21 IQD 16.0K

86.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.37 IQD 1,798

105.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.02 IQD 2,649

37.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.40 IQD 518

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$31.03 IQD 40.6K

-74.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.35 IQD 3,072

-80.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$2.12 IQD 2,774

-78.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$5.24 IQD 6,865

19.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.35 IQD 464

142.86%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

36.54%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

55.48%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$59.3 IQD 77.6K

36.22%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$17.34 IQD 22.7K

-76.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$26.66 IQD 34.9K

-8.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

402.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

-62.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$3.85 IQD 5,040

4.94%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$26.46 IQD 34.6K

1049.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$638 IQD 835.2K

938.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

185.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

100.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$81.1 IQD 106.2K

6.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

190.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$245 IQD 321.3K

301.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$181 IQD 236.6K

264.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$573 IQD 750.2K

488.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$350 IQD 458.1K

490.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$772 IQD 1.0M

255.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$193 IQD 252.4K

1055.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$718 IQD 940.5K

-77.25%

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 Ba'qubah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $245 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 340% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $140 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 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 340% less. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $245 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $658 in Ba'qubah versus $1,404 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 113% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.