Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Essaouira

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
Learn more

Essaouira Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Essaouira actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $781 in Essaouira, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Essaouira $781

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,172 in Essaouira, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Essaouira $1,172

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,563 in Essaouira, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Essaouira $1,563

Ubud, Bali costs about 73% more than Essaouira, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Essaouira is 42% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$4.52 MAD 44.11

-28.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$18.78 MAD 183

85.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$7.36 MAD 71.8

-22.55%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$1.33 MAD 12.92

96.99%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.46 MAD 4.49

273.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.37 MAD 3.64

118.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$5.10 MAD 49.73

-48.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.39 MAD 42.83

-0.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.91 MAD 8.87

72.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$0.52 MAD 5.08

321.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.67 MAD 16.33

-29.34%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.62 MAD 15.76

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$8.12 MAD 79.1

117.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$5.92 MAD 57.8

-36.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.67 MAD 104

12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$1.28 MAD 12.50

181.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.17 MAD 11.45

35.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$0.66 MAD 6.45

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.77 MAD 7.48

148.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.58 MAD 5.67

206.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.70 MAD 6.79

232.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.35 MAD 3.41

185.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.59 MAD 5.72

-10.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$3.85 MAD 37.58

-40.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$5.98 MAD 58.3

269.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.70 MAD 16.58

38.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.09 MAD 20.34

42.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.85 MAD 8.32

-72.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.62 MAD 6.09

-24.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.64 MAD 6.23

-32.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.48 MAD 14.46

-43.92%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

-23.06%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

2.12%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$24.14 MAD 235

231.36%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$16.96 MAD 165

-61.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$29.95 MAD 292

-37.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$5.10 MAD 49.70

-16.67%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$67.8 MAD 661

626.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

210.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$29.33 MAD 286

55.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$42.93 MAD 419

-18.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$59.1 MAD 576

31.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$40.42 MAD 394

94.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$386 MAD 3,760

193.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$334 MAD 3,259

101.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$913 MAD 8,905

295.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$569 MAD 5,547

199.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$254 MAD 2,479

-34.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.5

112.00%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Essaouira

$334 42.8% 50.3% $339

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Essaouira

$170 21.7% 40.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Essaouira

$77 9.9% 27.5% $29

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Essaouira

$112 14.3% 5% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Essaouira

$71 9.1% 32.4% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3% 83.7% $52

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9% 41.8% $5.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $386 in Essaouira. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Essaouira, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $19.00 in Essaouira. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $170 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🕒 Local time

21:17 9:17 PM

14:17 2:17 PM

7 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

77,966

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Essaouira 13,800 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Essaouira

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 Essaouira: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 73%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,172 in Essaouira. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $19.00 in Essaouira. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Essaouira. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.