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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $417 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $604 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $790 in Kabul.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 237% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kabul is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 61.8K

$2.66 ؋175

29.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 578.5K

$10.83 ؋712

198.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 86.7K

$4.24 ؋279

14.15%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋110

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.1K

$1.01 ؋66.6

172.28%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

$0.34 ؋22.04

305.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.4K

$0.15 ؋9.87

400.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 68.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

$0.71 ؋46.73

145.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.0K

$0.17 ؋11.49

1347.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

$1.70 ؋112

-31.18%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.5K

$1.43 ؋94.1

69.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 259.5K

$3.76 ؋247

285.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.8K

$3.27 ؋215

33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 214.3K

$5.91 ؋389

102.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.5K

$0.57 ؋37.42

552.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$0.74 ؋48.77

120.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.1K

$0.70 ؋45.92

291.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.1K

$0.47 ؋30.95

376.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.3K

$0.45 ؋29.46

326.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.7K

$0.43 ؋28.13

430.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

$0.25 ؋16.46

324.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.36 ؋23.39

100.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.76 ؋116

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋61.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 ؋101

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 58.8K

$2.55 ؋168

29.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 414.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 48.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,765

$0.21 ؋13.80

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.0K

$9.94 ؋654

-18.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,636

$1.69 ؋111

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,511

$0.52 ؋34.44

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.3K

$2.50 ؋164

148.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.98 ؋64.4

-17.35%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.1M

$7,814 ؋513.6K

240.56%

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

$32.2K Rp 575.9M

$31.9K ؋2.1M

0.90%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$50.4 ؋3,310

55.58%

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

$4.07 Rp 72.8K

$14.12 ؋928

-71.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 435.2K

$90.5 ؋5,949

-73.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$9.10 ؋598

983.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.3K

$3.83 ؋252

65.54%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.3K

$2.20 ؋145

81.36%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$18.59 ؋1,222

1540.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 118.8M

$1,453 ؋95.5K

357.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 968.6K

$9.12 ؋600

493.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 676.3K

$17.07 ؋1,122

121.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$32.63 ؋2,145

166.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$27.45 ؋1,805

178.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.7M

$85.4 ؋5,614

1061.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.0M

$57.7 ؋3,795

1065.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.4M

$198 ؋13.0K

1604.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.7M

$110 ؋7,199

1772.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.2M

$744 ؋48.9K

277.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 39.8M

$407 ؋26.8K

446.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$330 ؋21.7K

-49.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

18.5

-28.22%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kabul: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $85.4 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kabul pays 98% 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 $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $87.0 per month, with Kabul 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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Kabul differ by about 237% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $417 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 98% lower in Kabul. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $85.4 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $18.59 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $417 in Kabul versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kabul 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 Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 237% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.