Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Baghdad
🇮🇶 Iraq
$1,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Baghdad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Baghdad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,001 in Baghdad.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Baghdad $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,472 in Baghdad.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Baghdad $1,472

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,943 in Baghdad.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Baghdad $1,943

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 37% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Baghdad is 26% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.8K
$4.27 IQD 6,445
-22.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 631.2K
$29.18 IQD 44.1K
20.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.1K
$6.77 IQD 10.2K
-14.33%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.0K
$2.65 IQD 4,003
3.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.4K
$0.35 IQD 530
368.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$0.20 IQD 302
315.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.4K
$3.26 IQD 4,927
-17.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.1K
$3.22 IQD 4,868
33.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.0K
$0.97 IQD 1,466
54.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.2K
$0.73 IQD 1,097
215.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.1K
$1.33 IQD 2,003
-11.28%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.5K
$1.68 IQD 2,534
27.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 313.6K
$3.25 IQD 4,912
437.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.3K
$4.10 IQD 6,192
-1.71%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 219.4K
$12.41 IQD 18.8K
-1.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.7K
$1.01 IQD 1,523
251.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.2K
$0.98 IQD 1,487
60.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.1K
$0.96 IQD 1,444
133.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.6K
$0.69 IQD 1,045
179.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.8K
$0.56 IQD 842
235.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$0.57 IQD 855
301.75%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$0.53 IQD 806
86.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,445
$0.62 IQD 943
-14.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.0K
$1.68 IQD 2,534
35.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 412.9K
$11.61 IQD 17.5K
98.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.0K
$1.89 IQD 2,863
23.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.2K
$1.90 IQD 2,876
53.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,301
$0.57 IQD 858
-57.89%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.2K
$20.12 IQD 30.4K
-56.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,657
$2.01 IQD 3,038
-76.12%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,207
$1.34 IQD 2,029
-65.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.9K
$6.54 IQD 9,887
-16.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$0.54 IQD 810
62.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 440.8M
$16.3K IQD 24.6M
50.65%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 559.6M
$16.6K IQD 25.1M
88.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$189 IQD 285.6K
-56.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 115.7K
$17.44 IQD 26.4K
-63.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 333.1K
$36.40 IQD 55.0K
-48.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$41.49 IQD 62.7K
34.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 324.9K
$18.51 IQD 28.0K
-2.16%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.6K
$9.64 IQD 14.6K
-54.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.8M
$145 IQD 218.9K
240.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.2M
$3,046 IQD 4.6M
88.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 828.8K
$24.78 IQD 37.4K
86.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 634.0K
$28.66 IQD 43.3K
23.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$59.8 IQD 90.4K
32.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$41.64 IQD 62.9K
88.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.5M
$513 IQD 774.7K
122.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.1M
$322 IQD 485.8K
110.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 62.9M
$881 IQD 1.3M
297.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.5M
$595 IQD 899.0K
185.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.0M
$4,336 IQD 6.6M
-35.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.2M
$1,443 IQD 2.2M
55.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Baghdad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$499 IQD 753.9K
-67.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.12
234.47%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Baghdad
$322 52.4% $354
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Baghdad
$164 43.7% $127
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Baghdad
$111 2.2% $2.4
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Baghdad
$243 125% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Baghdad
$70 35.2% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Baghdad
$61 5.9% $3.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Baghdad
$31 148% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $513 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 203% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $29.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇶 Baghdad
🕒 Local time
22:58 10:58 PM
17:58 5:58 PM
5 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
7,216,040 Capital
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 17,943 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.57 USD). 1 EUR = 20,174 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.96 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Baghdad 8,790 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Baghdad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Baghdad?
Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Baghdad?
On paper, salaries run 203% lower in Baghdad. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Baghdad?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $513 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How expensive is transport in Ubud, Bali compared to Baghdad?
A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 128% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Baghdad?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Baghdad?
At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Baghdad?
Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,001 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Baghdad?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Baghdad are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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