Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Islamabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Islamabad: $599 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Islamabad
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$599
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $599 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Islamabad $599

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $930 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Islamabad $930

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,261 in Islamabad, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Islamabad $1,261

Ubud, Bali costs about 128% more than Islamabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Islamabad is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$3.63 PKR 1,004
-8.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$23.40 PKR 6,478
50.34%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$5.54 PKR 1,534
4.69%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.57 PKR 987
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$6.73 PKR 1,864
-
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$2.64 PKR 730
3.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.32 PKR 89.6
412.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.23 PKR 63.7
260.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$0.94 PKR 259
59.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$0.72 PKR 200
219.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.30 PKR 361
-9.23%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$1.22 PKR 339
75.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$6.05 PKR 1,674
188.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$3.09 PKR 855
30.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$5.35 PKR 1,482
128.60%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$1.26 PKR 350
181.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$0.87 PKR 241
80.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.04 PKR 288
115.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$0.53 PKR 146
264.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$0.29 PKR 81.2
548.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$0.36 PKR 99.4
536.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.28 PKR 76.4
253.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.39 PKR 108
35.90%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.95 PKR 539
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.19 PKR 331
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.68 PKR 743
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$2.24 PKR 619
1.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.16 PKR 43.07
50.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$21.34 PKR 5,905
-58.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$1.24 PKR 344
-61.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.74 PKR 204
-37.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$1.60 PKR 442
240.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.37 PKR 378
-35.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$54.5K PKR 15.1M
-54.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$23.9K PKR 6.6M
30.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$103 PKR 28.6K
-19.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$5.99 PKR 1,658
7.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$17.15 PKR 4,746
8.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$28.20 PKR 7,806
97.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$8.47 PKR 2,344
113.81%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$4.43 PKR 1,226
-1.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$75.7 PKR 20.9K
551.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$5,004 PKR 1.4M
14.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$25.72 PKR 7,118
79.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$34.48 PKR 9,543
2.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$95.5 PKR 26.4K
-17.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$41.32 PKR 11.4K
89.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$276 PKR 76.5K
313.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$139 PKR 38.3K
387.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$572 PKR 158.2K
512.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$270 PKR 74.9K
528.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$1,629 PKR 450.8K
70.91%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$836 PKR 231.5K
167.89%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Islamabad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$380 PKR 105.2K
-56.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
13.08
5.35%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Islamabad: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Islamabad
$139 79.5% $537
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Islamabad
$102 64.9% $188
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Islamabad
$80 26.9% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Islamabad
$126 17% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Islamabad
$89 17.6% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Islamabad
$37 42.6% $28
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Islamabad
$27 114% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $276 in Islamabad. 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 131% higher in Islamabad, 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 $23.00 in Islamabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $102 – making Islamabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇵🇰 Islamabad
🕒 Local time
08:32 8:32 AM
05:32 5:32 AM
3 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,009,832 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Islamabad 6,470 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Islamabad

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 Islamabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Islamabad cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 128%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $899 in Islamabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Islamabad, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Islamabad?
Groceries cost about 185% 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.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Islamabad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $23.00 in Islamabad. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Islamabad?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Islamabad, where all-in costs run around $599, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Islamabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Islamabad more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Islamabad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Islamabad?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Islamabad. 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.

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