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: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,544 in Sharjah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,237 in Sharjah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,930 in Sharjah.

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 10% less than in Sharjah, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 5% above, Sharjah 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$5.59 AED 20.55

-39.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$32.42 AED 119

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$9.25 AED 33.96

-45.95%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.74 AED 35.79

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.78 AED 35.90

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$4.40 AED 16.15

-35.91%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.99 AED 3.64

39.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.37 AED 1.37

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.68 AED 6.17

6.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$1.14 AED 4.19

115.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$2.04 AED 7.49

-41.18%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$2.76 AED 10.15

-13.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$10.12 AED 37.17

42.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$6.73 AED 24.70

-36.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$8.72 AED 32.03

35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$1.91 AED 7.00

97.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.55 AED 5.68

5.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$1.48 AED 5.44

89.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.22 AED 4.46

85.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.04 AED 3.81

92.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.23 AED 4.52

79.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.44 AED 5.30

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.59 AED 2.17

28.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$15.67 AED 57.6

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 AED 7.19

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 AED 12.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$6.36 AED 23.36

-50.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$1.59 AED 5.82

-83.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$41.41 AED 152

-79.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$3.65 AED 13.42

-87.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.65 AED 2.39

-33.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$4.86 AED 17.85

23.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.81 AED 2.98

-1.23%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$45.4K AED 166.7K

-43.15%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$22.2K AED 81.7K

43.02%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$199 AED 731

-59.46%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$65.1 AED 239

-93.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$103 AED 378

-76.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$63.4 AED 233

54.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$37.45 AED 138

-82.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$13.04 AED 47.91

-69.02%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$280 AED 1,027

6.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$6,073 AED 22.3K

8.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$51.3 AED 189

7.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$98.6 AED 362

-60.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$95.7 AED 351

-10.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$82.5 AED 303

-5.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$761 AED 2,795

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$603 AED 2,213

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$1,647 AED 6,050

109.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$1,020 AED 3,747

100.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$8,260 AED 30.3K

-65.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$2,673 AED 9,816

-14.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$2,217 AED 8,143

-92.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.42

200.45%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Sharjah: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $761 in Sharjah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sharjah pays 1210% 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: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $32.00 in Sharjah. Groceries flip the comparison at $299 vs $187, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,394 vs $1,544 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sharjah earns 1210% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $761 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 $32.00 versus $32.00 in Sharjah. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,394 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $1,544 in Sharjah – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,544 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 11% less than in Sharjah. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.