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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 241% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kabul is 69% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.53 ؋161

40.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$10.74 ؋682

204.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$4.37 ؋278

13.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋107

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$1.01 ؋64.0

168.32%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.36 ؋22.93

272.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.13 ؋8.10

438.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$0.71 ؋44.85

154.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$0.21 ؋13.14

1100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.70 ؋108

-31.76%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.42 ؋90.0

73.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$3.84 ؋244

283.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.35 ؋213

28.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$6.00 ؋381

102.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$0.53 ؋33.75

624.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.80 ؋50.8

95.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$0.75 ؋47.84

277.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$0.46 ؋29.36

406.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.48 ؋30.44

297.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.43 ؋26.99

411.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.23 ؋14.60

339.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.33 ؋20.72

136.36%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.97 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋59.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋93.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.64 ؋168

25.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.21 ؋13.31

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$9.87 ؋627

-18.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.76 ؋112

-73.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.55 ؋35.21

-18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$2.59 ؋164

135.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.95 ؋60.1

-16.84%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$7,763 ؋493.0K

236.85%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$32.1K ؋2.0M

-0.08%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$50.3 ؋3,196

58.86%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$13.77 ؋874

-70.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$91.6 ؋5,819

-74.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$9.06 ؋575

989.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$3.88 ؋247

70.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$2.21 ؋140

87.78%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$18.18 ؋1,155

1571.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$1,414 ؋89.8K

367.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$9.57 ؋608

480.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$17.44 ؋1,108

119.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$32.79 ؋2,082

170.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$28.41 ؋1,804

174.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$85.0 ؋5,398

1084.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$58.5 ؋3,715

1054.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$203 ؋12.9K

1599.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$111 ؋7,037

1740.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$732 ؋46.5K

288.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$410 ؋26.1K

451.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$351 ؋22.3K

-52.96%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kabul pays 113% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $88.0 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 241% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kabul earns 113% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $85.0 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 $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $416 in Kabul versus $1,419 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 241% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.