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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,655 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,507 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,360 in Ruwais.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 15% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Ruwais 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$6.73 AED 24.71

-48.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$37.83 AED 139

-14.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$7.81 AED 28.70

-38.03%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$4.74 AED 17.41

-41.98%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.77 AED 2.82

79.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.37 AED 1.37

102.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$10.56 AED 38.80

-71.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$9.43 AED 34.62

-59.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.83 AED 6.73

-4.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.48 AED 5.44

66.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.93 AED 7.08

-39.38%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$3.12 AED 11.47

-22.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$2.75 AED 10.09

427.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$7.56 AED 27.77

-42.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$6.79 AED 24.92

76.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.88 AED 10.57

29.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.67 AED 6.13

-2.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.40 AED 5.14

95.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.85 AED 3.13

163.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.65 AED 2.40

195.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.40 AED 1.46

470.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.60 AED 5.88

-33.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.66 AED 2.41

9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$6.70 AED 24.60

-50.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$12.34 AED 45.33

87.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.35 AED 4.94

105.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.67 AED 9.81

2.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.64 AED 6.04

-83.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$52.2 AED 192

-84.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$2.77 AED 10.19

-82.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.65 AED 2.38

-35.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$8.32 AED 30.57

-25.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.75 AED 2.74

8.00%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$46.0K AED 169.0K

-42.18%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$22.3K AED 81.8K

44.52%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$92.0 AED 338

-14.79%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$52.2 AED 192

-92.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$96.0 AED 353

-74.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$64.4 AED 236

53.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$39.25 AED 144

-83.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$11.50 AED 42.23

-65.30%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$586 AED 2,154

-47.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$3,814 AED 14.0K

74.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$21.81 AED 80.1

148.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$80.8 AED 297

-53.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$80.1 AED 294

8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$54.2 AED 199

40.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$747 AED 2,743

32.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$750 AED 2,753

-10.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$2,472 AED 9,080

36.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$1,344 AED 4,935

52.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$5,008 AED 18.4K

-44.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$2,399 AED 8,812

-7.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$2,753 AED 10.1K

-93.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.71

181.95%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $747 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 1549% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Ruwais. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $208, with Ruwais cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ruwais: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Ruwais. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1549% lower in Ruwais. 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 $747 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $586 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,655 in Ruwais, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Ruwais. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ubud, Bali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,408 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ubud, Bali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ruwais 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.