Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,072 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,582 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,092 in Baghdad.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 30% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Baghdad is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.6K

$5.33 IQD 6,975

-36.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 577.1K

$37.02 IQD 48.5K

-12.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 89.1K

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

-35.23%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.3K

$3.10 IQD 4,056

-9.03%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.5K

$0.40 IQD 520

245.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.17 IQD 228

329.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 53.2K

$3.34 IQD 4,371

-10.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.8K

$2.82 IQD 3,690

40.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.0K

$1.35 IQD 1,771

32.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$0.82 IQD 1,079

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.4K

$1.65 IQD 2,163

-27.27%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.6K

$1.79 IQD 2,341

33.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 256.6K

$4.43 IQD 5,795

225.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 76.4K

$4.89 IQD 6,400

-12.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 210.6K

$13.90 IQD 18.2K

-14.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.4K

$1.27 IQD 1,660

197.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.15 IQD 1,512

41.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.9K

$1.06 IQD 1,384

164.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.3K

$0.70 IQD 916

222.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.6K

$0.70 IQD 916

185.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.4K

$0.66 IQD 868

234.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 19.1K

$0.62 IQD 817

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$0.66 IQD 860

15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.7K

$2.06 IQD 2,697

51.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 424.4K

$13.72 IQD 18.0K

73.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.6K

$1.86 IQD 2,438

52.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.5K

$2.12 IQD 2,773

31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,755

$0.76 IQD 993

-64.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 149.1K

$28.11 IQD 36.8K

-70.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,082

$3.82 IQD 5,001

-88.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,624

$1.47 IQD 1,926

-70.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 106.5K

$7.45 IQD 9,761

-19.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.56 IQD 735

42.86%

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

$25.8K Rp 459.9M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

26.94%

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

$31.8K Rp 566.8M

$19.7K IQD 25.9M

61.07%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$175 IQD 229.5K

-53.93%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.7K

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

-83.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 429.8K

$41.13 IQD 53.9K

-41.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$41.38 IQD 54.2K

136.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 118.4K

$18.70 IQD 24.5K

-64.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.9K

$7.50 IQD 9,825

-46.13%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$168 IQD 219.8K

76.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 117.4M

$3,639 IQD 4.8M

81.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 982.6K

$28.64 IQD 37.5K

92.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 686.2K

$31.05 IQD 40.7K

24.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$65.2 IQD 85.3K

32.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$43.30 IQD 56.7K

80.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.6M

$557 IQD 729.9K

76.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$315 IQD 412.5K

111.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.4M

$822 IQD 1.1M

319.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.4M

$599 IQD 784.8K

240.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.4M

$3,987 IQD 5.2M

-29.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.7M

$1,654 IQD 2.2M

37.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$657 IQD 860.3K

-74.24%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $557 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 288% 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 $37.00 in Baghdad. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $191, with Baghdad 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 30% 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.

On paper, salaries run 288% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $557 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 236% 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 $168 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,072 in Baghdad versus $1,394 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,072 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

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.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.