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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $638 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $985 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,333 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 126% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Ba'qubah is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$5.03 IQD 6,593

-29.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$15.37 IQD 20.1K

111.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$6.35 IQD 8,318

-20.16%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.13 IQD 1,478

150.44%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.48 IQD 628

179.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.18 IQD 242

283.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.93 IQD 2,534

54.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.06 IQD 2,697

86.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.13 IQD 1,485

53.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.55 IQD 726

361.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.12 IQD 1,473

6.25%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.41 IQD 1,852

72.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$2.26 IQD 2,964

548.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.52 IQD 3,298

65.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.77 IQD 14.1K

10.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$0.92 IQD 1,202

301.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.13 IQD 1,480

42.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.99 IQD 1,291

171.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.60 IQD 782

288.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.56 IQD 729

241.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.69 IQD 901

217.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.47 IQD 612

125.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.21 IQD 281

242.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.71 IQD 3,557

15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$12.24 IQD 16.0K

91.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.43 IQD 1,873

91.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.03 IQD 2,655

41.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.40 IQD 522

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$31.61 IQD 41.4K

-74.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$2.37 IQD 3,100

-81.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$2.10 IQD 2,751

-80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$5.32 IQD 6,973

15.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.33 IQD 427

154.55%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

38.17%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

55.54%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$59.3 IQD 77.7K

32.22%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$17.97 IQD 23.5K

-78.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$27.11 IQD 35.5K

-10.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$18.94 IQD 24.8K

409.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$16.61 IQD 21.8K

-61.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$3.82 IQD 4,999

5.76%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

1008.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$632 IQD 827.6K

932.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

183.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$18.97 IQD 24.9K

100.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$83.8 IQD 109.8K

3.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$27.25 IQD 35.7K

189.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$244 IQD 320.3K

314.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$182 IQD 238.6K

270.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$570 IQD 746.3K

495.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$345 IQD 451.5K

508.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$768 IQD 1.0M

288.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$188 IQD 246.7K

1142.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$730 IQD 956.4K

-76.28%

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 Ba'qubah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 322% 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 $298 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 126% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 322% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $244 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 $638 in Ba'qubah versus $1,438 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 126% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.