Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Salmiya

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,353 a month against $1,633 in Salmiya, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Salmiya
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Salmiya Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Salmiya

🇰🇼 Kuwait

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,633 in Salmiya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Salmiya $1,633

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,420 in Salmiya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Salmiya $2,420

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $3,208 in Salmiya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Salmiya $3,208

Ubud, Bali is about 17% cheaper than Salmiya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Salmiya sit above the global median – Ubud, Bali by 0%, Salmiya by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$9.53 KWD 2.94

-66.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$47.53 KWD 14.64

-26.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$8.19 KWD 2.52

-30.40%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KWD 0.72

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 KWD 0.78

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$5.16 KWD 1.59

-49.22%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.45 KWD 0.14

282.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.31 KWD 0.10

161.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.59 KWD 0.49

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$0.67 KWD 0.21

226.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.98 KWD 0.61

-40.40%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.06 KWD 0.63

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$4.34 KWD 1.34

306.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$6.76 KWD 2.08

-44.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.27 KWD 3.17

16.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.51 KWD 0.77

43.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.94 KWD 0.60

-18.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.72 KWD 0.53

34.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.55 KWD 0.48

23.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.35 KWD 0.42

31.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.48 KWD 0.46

57.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$2.33 KWD 0.72

-57.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.47 KWD 0.14

12.77%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.94 KWD 0.29

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 KWD 0.32

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 KWD 0.42

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.79 KWD 0.86

-17.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$1.11 KWD 0.34

-79.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$48.63 KWD 14.98

-81.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$3.26 KWD 1.00

-85.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$3.23 KWD 1.00

-86.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$10.32 KWD 3.18

-47.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.33 KWD 0.10

151.52%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$23.5K KWD 7,253

1.42%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$19.7K KWD 6,063

66.60%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$48.23 KWD 14.86

65.85%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$22.71 KWD 7.00

-71.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$30.34 KWD 9.35

-38.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$149 KWD 45.89

-63.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$15.79 KWD 4.87

15.77%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$11.47 KWD 3.53

-62.95%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$303 KWD 93.5

62.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$7,426 KWD 2,288

-24.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$37.43 KWD 11.53

21.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$40.08 KWD 12.35

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$97.4 KWD 30.00

-20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$88.8 KWD 27.35

-11.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$1,069 KWD 329

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$826 KWD 254

-18.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$2,370 KWD 730

52.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$1,302 KWD 401

30.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$2,169 KWD 668

-92.33%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Salmiya: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Salmiya

$826 50.6% 22.7% $153

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Salmiya

$177 10.9% 38.3% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Salmiya

$119 7.3% 11.4% $12

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Salmiya

$166 10.2% 55.8% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Salmiya

$101 6.2% 3.7% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Salmiya

$172 10.5% 174% $109

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Salmiya

$72 4.4% 483% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,069 in Salmiya. 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 1204% higher in Salmiya, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $48.00 in Salmiya. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Ubud, Bali vs $177 in Salmiya – so Salmiya wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇰🇼 Salmiya

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

5 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

309,960

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Kuwaiti Dinar KWD د.ك

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 KWD = 3.25 USD

1 KWD = 2.89 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Kuwaiti Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.308 KWD (1 KWD = 3.25 USD). 1 EUR = 0.346 KWD (1 KWD = 2.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Salmiya 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Salmiya

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 Salmiya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, $1,633 in Salmiya – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $2,449 in Salmiya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ubud, Bali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $48.00 in Salmiya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $1,633 in Salmiya. That's a gap of about 21%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Ubud, Bali, where all-in costs run around $1,353, than in Salmiya at $1,633. In Ubud, Bali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Salmiya it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,353 in Ubud, Bali to $1,633 in Salmiya. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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