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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,703 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,505 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,306 in Ruwais.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 17% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 6% above, Ruwais 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$6.84 AED 25.14

-47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$37.56 AED 138

-12.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$7.46 AED 27.42

-33.65%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$4.63 AED 17.01

-41.47%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.76 AED 2.77

76.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.35 AED 1.28

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$10.51 AED 38.61

-72.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$9.93 AED 36.46

-60.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.84 AED 6.76

-1.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.52 AED 5.60

65.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.86 AED 6.84

-37.63%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$3.07 AED 11.27

-19.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$2.75 AED 10.08

434.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$7.59 AED 27.87

-43.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$6.73 AED 24.72

80.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.96 AED 10.88

29.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.67 AED 6.14

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.39 AED 5.10

103.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.78 AED 2.87

198.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.65 AED 2.39

193.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.42 AED 1.55

423.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.60 AED 5.88

-36.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.62 AED 2.27

25.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$6.66 AED 24.47

-50.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$12.48 AED 45.84

90.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.33 AED 4.87

109.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$2.75 AED 10.08

4.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$1.67 AED 6.13

-83.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$52.1 AED 191

-84.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$2.70 AED 9.93

-82.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.70 AED 2.57

-35.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$8.05 AED 29.56

-24.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.74 AED 2.70

6.76%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$44.8K AED 164.5K

-41.60%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$22.5K AED 82.5K

42.94%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$90.3 AED 332

-11.51%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$53.9 AED 198

-92.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$96.9 AED 356

-75.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$64.1 AED 235

54.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$39.61 AED 145

-83.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$11.45 AED 42.06

-63.76%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$590 AED 2,167

-48.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$3,756 AED 13.8K

76.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$22.19 AED 81.5

150.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$81.3 AED 299

-52.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$79.7 AED 293

11.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$54.0 AED 198

44.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$747 AED 2,743

34.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$768 AED 2,821

-12.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$2,544 AED 9,344

35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$1,380 AED 5,068

47.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$4,622 AED 17.0K

-38.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$2,005 AED 7,365

12.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$2,681 AED 9,849

-93.84%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $747 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 1523% 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: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $38.00 in Ruwais. Groceries flip the comparison at $302 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 20% 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, Ruwais earns 1523% 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 $747 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $590 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 45% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,703 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 $1,419 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 20% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.