Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sabah Al Salem

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem, rent and utilities included – about $830 less a year. The total is higher in Sabah Al Salem despite lower rent and utilities.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Sabah Al Salem
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Sabah Al Salem Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Sabah Al Salem

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,418

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Sabah Al Salem

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 Sabah Al Salem actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Sabah Al Salem $1,418

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,468 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Sabah Al Salem $2,468

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,518 in Sabah Al Salem, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Sabah Al Salem $3,518

Ubud, Bali is about 5% cheaper than Sabah Al Salem, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.2K

$7.81 KWD 2.41

-57.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 645.8K

$71.2 KWD 21.93

-49.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.3K

$9.38 KWD 2.89

-41.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 KWD 1.01

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$6.61 KWD 2.04

-58.85%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.8K

$0.47 KWD 0.14

261.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.46 KWD 0.14

65.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$1.86 KWD 0.57

-19.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.2K

$1.25 KWD 0.39

82.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$2.05 KWD 0.63

-41.95%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$3.16 KWD 0.97

-35.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 320.8K

$7.12 KWD 2.19

148.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.8K

$5.41 KWD 1.67

-26.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 220.9K

$10.01 KWD 3.09

21.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.2K

$2.44 KWD 0.75

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-21.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.26 KWD 0.39

76.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.7K

$1.47 KWD 0.45

34.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.36 KWD 0.42

36.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.9K

$0.91 KWD 0.28

165.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.65 KWD 0.51

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,303

$0.49 KWD 0.15

4.08%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.08 KWD 0.95

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 KWD 0.35

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$2.68 KWD 0.83

-17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.8K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,548

$0.92 KWD 0.28

-72.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.8K

$112 KWD 34.63

-93.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,964

$3.60 KWD 1.11

-87.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,793

$3.20 KWD 0.99

-86.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.0K

$13.80 KWD 4.25

-60.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

$0.33 KWD 0.10

148.48%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.0M

$25.2K KWD 7,765

-5.37%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.3M

$21.5K KWD 6,630

47.58%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$38.66 KWD 11.92

104.50%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.8K

$23.88 KWD 7.36

-72.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 336.7K

$38.49 KWD 11.86

-51.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 896.7K

$131 KWD 40.32

-62.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 319.8K

$38.26 KWD 11.79

-53.87%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.4K

$11.06 KWD 3.41

-61.39%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$281 KWD 86.6

74.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.8M

$7,550 KWD 2,327

-24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 808.9K

$37.23 KWD 11.47

19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 633.4K

$39.57 KWD 12.19

-11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$98.9 KWD 30.48

-19.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$89.8 KWD 27.66

-11.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$814 KWD 251

38.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$550 KWD 170

22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.6M

$1,741 KWD 537

104.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.2M

$1,351 KWD 416

27.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$2,957 KWD 911

-94.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

6.53

111.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sabah Al Salem: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Sabah Al Salem

$550 38.8% 18.1% $122

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Sabah Al Salem

$185 13.1% 35.9% $103

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Sabah Al Salem

$174 12.3% 61.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Sabah Al Salem

$119 8.4% 11.1% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sabah Al Salem

$101 7.1% 2.9% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Sabah Al Salem

$153 10.8% 164% $95

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Sabah Al Salem

$136 9.6% 1088% $124

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $814 in Sabah Al Salem. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sabah Al Salem are about 18 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $71 in Sabah Al Salem. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Ubud, Bali vs $185 in Sabah Al Salem – so Sabah Al Salem wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇼 Sabah Al Salem

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

19:07 7:07 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

92,818

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 KWD = 3.24 USD

1 KWD = 2.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KWD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 18,120 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,232 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.24 USD). 1 EUR = 0.344 KWD (1 KWD = 2.91 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Sabah Al Salem 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Sabah Al Salem

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 Sabah Al Salem: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sabah Al Salem is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,127 in Sabah Al Salem. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sabah Al Salem, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $814 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $71 in Sabah Al Salem. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem. That makes Ubud, Bali about 5% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,349 in Ubud, Bali to $1,418 in Sabah Al Salem. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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

If budget matters most, go with Ubud, Bali. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sabah Al Salem makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.