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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $862 in Sinjar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,355 in Sinjar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,848 in Sinjar.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 62% more expensive than in Sinjar, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sinjar is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.5K

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

-56.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 573.3K

$22.81 IQD 29.8K

40.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.6K

$8.97 IQD 11.7K

-43.70%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.7K

$3.13 IQD 4,089

-13.42%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.52 IQD 682

167.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.20 IQD 261

270.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.9K

$1.91 IQD 2,502

51.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.12 IQD 2,768

78.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.2K

$1.32 IQD 1,728

35.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$0.84 IQD 1,099

198.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.8K

$1.90 IQD 2,479

-36.32%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.5K

$1.91 IQD 2,496

24.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.8K

$7.20 IQD 9,413

100.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.4K

$4.80 IQD 6,280

-13.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 217.3K

$14.11 IQD 18.5K

-14.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.6K

$1.19 IQD 1,563

216.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.16 IQD 1,517

40.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$1.19 IQD 1,553

127.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

$0.81 IQD 1,060

179.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$0.67 IQD 872

188.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$0.69 IQD 908

217.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.3K

$0.78 IQD 1,024

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$0.56 IQD 732

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.1K

$2.66 IQD 3,481

19.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 427.5K

$7.84 IQD 10.2K

204.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.8K

$1.39 IQD 1,820

99.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.00 IQD 2,619

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,794

$0.36 IQD 474

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 147.0K

$31.07 IQD 40.6K

-73.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,668

$2.37 IQD 3,097

-79.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,557

$2.33 IQD 3,042

-81.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 108.1K

$6.69 IQD 8,756

-9.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$0.65 IQD 851

26.15%

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

$26.6K Rp 476.4M

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

38.36%

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

$32.2K Rp 577.6M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

57.57%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$98.9 IQD 129.4K

-20.90%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.2K

$17.70 IQD 23.1K

-77.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.9K

$30.29 IQD 39.6K

-21.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$36.78 IQD 48.1K

161.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 117.0K

$16.76 IQD 21.9K

-61.04%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.0K

$11.45 IQD 15.0K

-64.98%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$268 IQD 350.7K

12.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.5M

$3,315 IQD 4.3M

97.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 992.0K

$33.21 IQD 43.4K

66.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 687.3K

$48.40 IQD 63.3K

-20.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$81.2 IQD 106.2K

8.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$76.1 IQD 99.5K

0.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$240 IQD 313.8K

310.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$181 IQD 237.3K

275.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.3M

$590 IQD 771.7K

479.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.2M

$341 IQD 445.6K

509.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$226 IQD 295.1K

-25.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.67

134.22%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Sinjar: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $240 in Sinjar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sinjar pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Sinjar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $186 per month, with Sinjar cheaper across the board.

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 Sinjar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Sinjar differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,397 vs $862 including rent). Sinjar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in Sinjar. 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $240 in Sinjar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $268 in Sinjar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $862 in Sinjar versus $1,397 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sinjar but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sinjar 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 Sinjar 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 Sinjar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.