Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Karbala

For one person, living is cheaper in Karbala: $584 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Karbala
Learn more

Karbala Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Karbala

🇮🇶 Iraq

$584

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $584 in Karbala, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Karbala $584

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $919 in Karbala, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Karbala $919

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,254 in Karbala, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Karbala $1,254

Ubud, Bali costs about 131% more than Karbala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

$3.88 IQD 5,867

-14.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

$16.22 IQD 24.5K

119.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

$4.88 IQD 7,374

13.32%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

$1.29 IQD 1,948

110.85%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

$0.34 IQD 516

400.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

$0.24 IQD 362

216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

$3.04 IQD 4,589

-12.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

$1.78 IQD 2,687

146.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

$1.04 IQD 1,571

43.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

$0.82 IQD 1,236

178.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

$1.20 IQD 1,806

-0.83%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

$1.53 IQD 2,309

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

$4.97 IQD 7,505

256.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$3.51 IQD 5,310

12.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

$9.63 IQD 14.5K

26.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

$0.88 IQD 1,336

315.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

$0.94 IQD 1,427

61.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$0.94 IQD 1,415

137.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

$0.48 IQD 724

310.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

$0.65 IQD 975

184.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

$0.50 IQD 753

384.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$0.70 IQD 1,057

41.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,255

$0.45 IQD 684

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

$1.70 IQD 2,562

30.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

107.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

$1.39 IQD 2,104

62.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

$1.71 IQD 2,577

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,525

$0.35 IQD 521

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

-60.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,923

$1.84 IQD 2,776

-76.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,753

$1.34 IQD 2,023

-67.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

$6.78 IQD 10.2K

-20.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$0.44 IQD 672

86.36%

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

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

$16.2K IQD 24.4M

47.34%

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

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

89.40%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$67.6 IQD 102.2K

16.95%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

-46.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

$24.09 IQD 36.4K

-22.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

$19.95 IQD 30.1K

148.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

$8.13 IQD 12.3K

-47.48%

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

$491 Rp 8.8M

$127 IQD 192.0K

285.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

$2,760 IQD 4.2M

105.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

$14.74 IQD 22.3K

202.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

$13.08 IQD 19.8K

167.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$26.84 IQD 40.6K

197.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.6 IQD 81.0K

48.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

$174 IQD 262.4K

547.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.1M

$134 IQD 201.8K

402.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

$371 IQD 560.7K

860.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

$320 IQD 483.9K

438.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

$721 IQD 1.1M

279.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

$581 IQD 877.3K

293.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$347 IQD 524.6K

-52.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.33

313.81%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karbala: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Karbala

$134 22.9% 80.1% $538

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Karbala

$150 25.7% 48% $138

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Karbala

$82 14.1% 23.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Karbala

$49 8.3% 54.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Karbala

$104 17.8% 0.3% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Karbala

$36 6.2% 37.6% $22

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Karbala

$30 5.1% 159% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $174 in Karbala. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karbala are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $16 in Karbala. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $150 – making Karbala the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇶 Karbala

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

16:03 4:03 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

572,300

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Karbala 8,800 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Karbala

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 Karbala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 131%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $876 in Karbala. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karbala, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $174 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $584 in Karbala. That’s a gap of about 131%.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karbala, where all-in costs run around $584, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Karbala it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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