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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,796 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,573 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,349 in Sharjah.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 24% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 0% above, Sharjah 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$5.34 AED 19.60

-35.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$36.04 AED 132

0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$8.11 AED 29.78

-29.59%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.34 AED 34.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 AED 35.36

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$3.54 AED 13.00

-24.58%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.80 AED 2.93

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.32 AED 1.17

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.50 AED 5.52

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.19 AED 4.37

95.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.82 AED 6.68

-39.01%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$2.95 AED 10.85

-25.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$8.58 AED 31.50

106.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$6.98 AED 25.64

-41.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$11.23 AED 41.24

8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.25 AED 8.28

64.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.66 AED 6.08

-4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.53 AED 5.63

49.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.34 AED 4.93

45.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.06 AED 3.89

80.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.17 AED 4.30

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.47 AED 5.39

-31.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.57 AED 2.11

-3.51%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.42 AED 56.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 AED 9.23

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 AED 9.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$6.55 AED 24.06

-65.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$2.22 AED 8.13

-87.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$26.81 AED 98.5

-66.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$3.71 AED 13.62

-87.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.56 AED 2.06

-23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$12.00 AED 44.07

-53.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.98 AED 3.58

-18.37%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$45.4K AED 166.8K

-45.08%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$22.1K AED 81.3K

43.26%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$209 AED 766

-60.97%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$49.53 AED 182

-86.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$97.8 AED 359

-80.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$54.3 AED 200

4.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$21.66 AED 79.5

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$13.45 AED 49.40

-66.25%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$323 AED 1,186

48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$8,883 AED 32.6K

-35.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$59.3 AED 218

-23.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$77.0 AED 283

-53.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$109 AED 401

-26.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$94.6 AED 347

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$831 AED 3,053

34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$901 AED 3,310

-22.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$1,823 AED 6,694

99.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$1,419 AED 5,211

22.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$8,211 AED 30.2K

-66.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$2,718 AED 9,981

-15.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$2,184 AED 8,020

-92.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.5

206.22%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $831 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 1200% 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 $36.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $193, with Sharjah 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 Sharjah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Sharjah differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($1,368 vs $1,796 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1200% lower in Sharjah. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $831 in Sharjah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ubud, Bali – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $36.00 in Sharjah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,796 in Sharjah – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,796 in Sharjah, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Sharjah. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sharjah 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 31% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.