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: $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,929 in Ruwais.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,453 in Ruwais.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,275 in Ubud, Bali versus $4,977 in Ruwais.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 29% less than in Ruwais, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Ruwais 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 58.7K

$9.29 AED 34.11

-64.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 Rp 630.7K

$54.1 AED 199

-33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.63 Rp 99.1K

$8.63 AED 31.71

-34.76%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 49.7K

$4.75 AED 17.46

-40.63%

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

$1.75 Rp 30.8K

$0.69 AED 2.52

153.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.0K

$0.32 AED 1.19

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 Rp 53.6K

$8.11 AED 29.78

-62.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$6.72 AED 24.68

-36.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 Rp 28.3K

$1.80 AED 6.62

-10.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 Rp 39.9K

$1.59 AED 5.85

42.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 20.6K

$2.32 AED 8.53

-49.57%

Eggs

$2.17 Rp 38.2K

$2.81 AED 10.30

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.63 Rp 310.5K

$9.47 AED 34.78

86.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.05 Rp 71.4K

$11.02 AED 40.47

-63.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 214.5K

$9.11 AED 33.45

33.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.7K

$2.98 AED 10.93

21.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 Rp 28.8K

$1.97 AED 7.24

-16.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 40.6K

$1.94 AED 7.12

19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 Rp 34.5K

$1.56 AED 5.75

25.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 32.5K

$1.13 AED 4.16

62.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 Rp 41.7K

$1.31 AED 4.79

80.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 18.5K

$0.79 AED 2.92

32.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 Rp 9,560

$0.56 AED 2.04

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 Rp 40.6K

$6.24 AED 22.93

-63.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.08 Rp 406.4K

$12.26 AED 45.04

88.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$2.72 AED 10.01

-13.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 Rp 54.0K

$2.79 AED 10.26

10.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,365

$2.49 AED 9.15

-89.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.42 Rp 165.9K

$38.78 AED 142

-75.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,631

$2.30 AED 8.44

-78.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,349

$1.15 AED 4.21

-59.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 98.6K

$7.83 AED 28.77

-28.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.2K

$0.79 AED 2.89

2.53%

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

$25.0K Rp 440.3M

$44.8K AED 164.7K

-44.23%

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

$31.1K Rp 547.0M

$21.7K AED 79.7K

43.10%

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

$82.7 Rp 1.5M

$112 AED 412

-26.20%

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

$6.49 Rp 114.2K

$47.44 AED 174

-86.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.79 Rp 330.8K

$95.6 AED 351

-80.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 Rp 972.6K

$60.0 AED 220

-7.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.21 Rp 320.6K

$27.99 AED 103

-34.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 Rp 75.7K

$13.72 AED 50.4

-68.66%

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

$494 Rp 8.7M

$560 AED 2,057

-11.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,917 Rp 104.2M

$7,558 AED 27.8K

-21.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.28 Rp 814.8K

$43.72 AED 161

5.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.44 Rp 641.6K

$54.8 AED 201

-33.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$70.6 AED 259

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 Rp 1.4M

$100 AED 368

-21.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 Rp 19.6M

$873 AED 3,208

27.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$693 Rp 12.2M

$866 AED 3,182

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,639 Rp 64.1M

$1,688 AED 6,200

115.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 Rp 30.1M

$2,680 AED 9,844

-36.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 Rp 48.6M

$5,670 AED 20.8K

-51.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,293 Rp 40.4M

$2,306 AED 8,468

-0.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 2.9M

$2,769 AED 10.2K

-93.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

175.60%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 6, 2026

Last update for Ruwais: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,114 in Ubud, Bali and $873 in Ruwais. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ruwais pays 1557% 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: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $54.0 in Ruwais. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $267, 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 40% 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 1557% 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: $1,114 in Ubud, Bali versus $873 in Ruwais. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $494 in Ubud, Bali versus $560 in Ruwais. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ruwais pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,378 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,929 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 $1,378 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 40% less than in Ruwais. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.