Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,348
/mo nomad
Sulaymaniyah
🇮🇶 Iraq
$773
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $773 in Sulaymaniyah.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,348
  • Sulaymaniyah $773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,312
  • Sulaymaniyah $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,276
  • Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 74% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Sulaymaniyah is 42% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.6K
$5.07 IQD 7,660
-34.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.42 Rp 633.1K
$22.93 IQD 34.6K
54.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.76 Rp 102.9K
$7.04 IQD 10.6K
-18.18%
Cappuccino
$2.63 Rp 47.0K
$2.88 IQD 4,344
-8.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 Rp 31.0K
$0.50 IQD 759
248.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 Rp 13.8K
$0.25 IQD 378
208.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.71 Rp 48.4K
$3.93 IQD 5,943
-31.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.52 Rp 80.8K
$2.27 IQD 3,427
99.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 Rp 27.4K
$1.28 IQD 1,935
19.53%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 Rp 39.2K
$1.01 IQD 1,519
117.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 Rp 21.8K
$1.86 IQD 2,812
-34.41%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.2K
$1.77 IQD 2,672
20.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.73 Rp 316.9K
$4.96 IQD 7,490
257.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.86 Rp 68.9K
$4.22 IQD 6,382
-8.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.03 Rp 215.0K
$15.30 IQD 23.1K
-21.37%
Apples (1kg)
$3.61 Rp 64.5K
$1.28 IQD 1,935
182.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.51 Rp 27.1K
$1.28 IQD 1,937
17.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.32 Rp 41.4K
$1.15 IQD 1,737
101.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 Rp 35.8K
$0.68 IQD 1,025
194.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
$0.56 IQD 847
223.21%
Onion (1kg)
$2.39 Rp 42.7K
$0.73 IQD 1,096
227.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.8K
$0.73 IQD 1,101
35.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,373
$0.50 IQD 752
4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.18 Rp 39.0K
$2.28 IQD 3,444
-4.39%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.98 Rp 410.7K
$11.23 IQD 17.0K
104.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 Rp 42.8K
$1.95 IQD 2,949
23.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 Rp 53.6K
$1.42 IQD 2,141
111.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,255
$0.60 IQD 902
-60.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$6.99 Rp 125.0K
$22.68 IQD 34.3K
-69.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,876
$2.22 IQD 3,361
-80.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.42 Rp 7,582
$2.34 IQD 3,531
-82.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 97.4K
$5.50 IQD 8,306
-0.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.84 Rp 15.1K
$0.69 IQD 1,045
21.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.3K Rp 434.8M
$20.9K IQD 31.5M
16.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K Rp 570.0M
$18.9K IQD 28.6M
68.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.8 Rp 1.4M
$100 IQD 151.7K
-19.47%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.58 Rp 117.6K
$11.49 IQD 17.4K
-42.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.24 Rp 326.1K
$28.04 IQD 42.4K
-34.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.1 Rp 985.4K
$39.70 IQD 60.0K
38.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.51 Rp 330.9K
$20.09 IQD 30.4K
-7.86%
Cinema Ticket
$4.24 Rp 75.9K
$7.58 IQD 11.5K
-44.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$486 Rp 8.7M
$173 IQD 261.0K
181.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,676 Rp 101.5M
$2,946 IQD 4.5M
92.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.18 Rp 807.6K
$18.91 IQD 28.6K
138.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.57 Rp 617.9K
$25.19 IQD 38.1K
37.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.2 Rp 1.4M
$43.24 IQD 65.3K
83.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.6 Rp 1.4M
$38.64 IQD 58.4K
100.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,127 Rp 20.1M
$215 IQD 324.7K
424.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$674 Rp 12.1M
$175 IQD 264.2K
285.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,618 Rp 64.7M
$492 IQD 743.9K
634.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,735 Rp 31.0M
$363 IQD 548.8K
377.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,829 Rp 50.6M
$786 IQD 1.2M
259.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,307 Rp 41.2M
$630 IQD 952.4K
265.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Sulaymaniyah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$584 IQD 882.1K
-71.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
5.77
138.82%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$674
Sulaymaniyah
$175 74.1% $499
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Sulaymaniyah
$188 35% $102
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Sulaymaniyah
$123 14.2% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Sulaymaniyah
$57 46.7% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$106
Sulaymaniyah
$140 32.4% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$64
Sulaymaniyah
$55 13.8% $8.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Sulaymaniyah
$39 271% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sulaymaniyah pays 252% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $188 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah
🕒 Local time
14:48 2:48 PM
09:48 9:48 AM
5 h behind Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
823,199
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,048 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Sulaymaniyah 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sulaymaniyah cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Sulaymaniyah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ubud, Bali or Sulaymaniyah?
On paper, salaries run 252% lower in Sulaymaniyah. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Sulaymaniyah?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Sulaymaniyah?
Dining out is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Ubud, Bali and in Sulaymaniyah?
All in, you'll spend $1,348 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $773 in Sulaymaniyah – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Sulaymaniyah?
At $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $1,348 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ubud, Bali or Sulaymaniyah more family-friendly?
For families, Sulaymaniyah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Sulaymaniyah?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sulaymaniyah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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