Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Mahabad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mahabad: $528 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Mahabad
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Mahabad Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Mahabad

🇮🇷 Iran

$528

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $528 in Mahabad, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Mahabad $528

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $831 in Mahabad, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Mahabad $831

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,135 in Mahabad, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Mahabad $1,135

Ubud, Bali costs about 152% more than Mahabad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Mahabad are more affordable than the global median – Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Mahabad 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 61.1K

$2.92 $2.92

15.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 627.3K

$16.31 $16.31

112.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 100.9K

$3.99 $3.99

39.60%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 $1.08

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.4K

$1.13 $1.13

131.86%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.9K

$0.51 $0.51

201.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.99 $0.99

-35.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 77.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.5K

$0.68 $0.68

114.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.5K

$0.51 $0.51

349.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$2.09 $2.09

-46.89%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 38.0K

$1.24 $1.24

69.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 288.6K

$4.47 $4.47

256.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.3K

$3.34 $3.34

16.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 206.4K

$7.85 $7.85

45.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.3K

$1.03 $1.03

244.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

$1.59 $1.59

-3.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$0.86 $0.86

159.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$0.57 $0.57

245.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.6K

$0.57 $0.57

226.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.8K

$0.47 $0.47

414.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.6K

$0.54 $0.54

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,456

$0.24 $0.24

116.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.77 $0.77

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 $0.50

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 $1.34

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.8K

$2.46 $2.46

-10.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 394.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,533

$0.14 $0.14

78.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 148.0K

$9.67 $9.67

-15.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,925

$0.44 $0.44

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,472

$0.31 $0.31

51.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.4K

$2.63 $2.63

112.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.10 $0.10

730.00%

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

$24.4K Rp 442.6M

$50.0K $50.0K

-51.08%

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

$31.7K Rp 573.8M

$45.4K $45.4K

-30.22%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$12.98 $12.98

496.92%

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

$6.14 Rp 111.2K

$1.57 $1.57

291.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 342.4K

$3.81 $3.81

396.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 923.1K

$18.40 $18.40

177.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 330.4K

$13.52 $13.52

34.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.3K

$2.04 $2.04

114.71%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$107 $107

358.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 221.2M

$2,442 $2,442

400.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 817.6K

$22.95 $22.95

96.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 631.6K

$27.82 $27.82

25.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$98.5 $98.5

-20.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$73.7 $73.7

5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.5M

$290 $290

271.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.0M

$212 $212

213.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.5M

$806 $806

335.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.2M

$356 $356

369.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.4M

$1,134 $1,134

106.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.5M

$541 $541

313.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$254 $254

-34.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

24.3

-43.29%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Mahabad: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Mahabad

$212 40.2% 68.1% $453

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Mahabad

$108 20.4% 61.5% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Mahabad

$100 19% 5.6% $6

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Mahabad

$55 10.4% 48.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Mahabad

$18 3.5% 82.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Mahabad

$22 4.3% 62.4% $37

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Mahabad

$12 2.3% 2.2% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $290 in Mahabad. 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 52% higher in Mahabad, 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 in Ubud, Bali versus $16 in Mahabad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $108 – making Mahabad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇷 Mahabad

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

20:55 8:55 PM

4 h 30 min behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

208,541

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,331 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

USD exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Ubud, Bali
Mahabad

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 Mahabad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 152%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $792 in Mahabad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mahabad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali.

Kindergarten costs $492 per month in Ubud, Bali and $107 in Mahabad. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 160% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mahabad, where all-in costs run around $528, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,331. In Mahabad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.