Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sheikh Zayed Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sheikh Zayed

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,408 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $490 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,585 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $782 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,763 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,075 in Sheikh Zayed, rent included.

Ubud, Bali costs about 187% more than Sheikh Zayed, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Ubud, Bali sits 5% above the global median, while Sheikh Zayed is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.58 E£183

-3.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$15.97 E£815

102.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$3.99 E£204

21.30%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.44 E£73.5

90.97%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.31 E£15.87

345.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.10 E£5.21

650.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.18 E£60.1

153.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.04 E£155

26.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$0.79 E£40.48

120.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.78 E£39.72

215.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.65 E£33.19

80.00%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.38 E£70.4

76.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$3.88 E£198

273.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.36 E£222

-0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$9.28 E£474

29.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.41 E£71.9

163.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$0.51 E£26.13

219.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$0.40 E£20.28

585.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.37 E£18.66

505.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.41 E£20.86

368.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.38 E£19.54

500.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.24 E£12.25

341.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.17 E£8.63

323.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$1.64 E£83.5

100.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$6.08 E£310

281.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.36 E£69.2

104.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.62 E£134

4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.25 E£12.81

8.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.53 E£26.96

-9.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.45 E£23.03

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$1.95 E£99.6

218.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.31 E£15.63

161.29%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$35.5K E£1.8M

-25.09%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-1.43%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$11.43 E£584

585.48%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$5.63 E£287

-27.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$10.06 E£513

141.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$39.14 E£1,998

151.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$10.06 E£513

-36.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$2.89 E£147

38.06%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$87.5 E£4,464

248.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$1,832 E£93.5K

262.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$27.62 E£1,410

96.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$49.36 E£2,520

-23.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$109 E£5,549

-20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$50.8 E£2,591

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$193 E£9,856

413.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$97.9 E£5,000

586.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$441 E£22.5K

664.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$178 E£9,081

1052.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,113 E£56.8K

151.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$605 E£30.9K

268.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$139 E£7,070

20.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

-21.88%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sheikh Zayed: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $193 in Sheikh Zayed. 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 21% higher in Ubud, Bali, 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $128 – making Sheikh Zayed the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Sheikh Zayed: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, $490 in Sheikh Zayed – roughly 187% apart. Ubud, Bali costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,112 per month in Ubud, Bali and $735 in Sheikh Zayed. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sheikh Zayed, 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali and $16.00 in Sheikh Zayed. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 132% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sheikh Zayed, where all-in costs run around $490, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,408. In Sheikh Zayed it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali 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 $490 in Sheikh Zayed to $1,408 in Ubud, Bali. 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 Sheikh Zayed. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.