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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $364 in Sylhet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $615 in Sylhet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $866 in Sylhet.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 279% more expensive than in Sylhet, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Sylhet is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$2.45 ৳299

35.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$11.32 ৳1,382

245.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$3.96 ৳483

41.92%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 ৳610

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 ৳490

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$1.99 ৳242

32.66%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$0.30 ৳36.26

426.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.16 ৳20.04

343.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$0.83 ৳101

85.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$0.59 ৳72.3

289.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$0.64 ৳78.1

60.94%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$1.16 ৳142

82.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$7.51 ৳917

130.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$3.34 ৳407

20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$6.56 ৳800

89.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$2.70 ৳330

37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.93 ৳114

74.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$2.41 ৳294

-5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$0.67 ৳81.6

197.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$0.24 ৳29.40

662.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$0.50 ৳60.6

350.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.31 ৳38.34

235.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.30 ৳36.81

86.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.78 ৳339

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 ৳255

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 ৳479

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$2.80 ৳341

-20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.75 ৳91.6

-66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

$24.33 ৳2,969

-70.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$1.19 ৳145

-61.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.15 ৳18.61

206.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$1.17 ৳143

387.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.02 ৳125

-25.49%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$29.3K ৳3.6M

-16.21%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$31.5K ৳3.8M

-1.40%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$25.76 ৳3,143

218.98%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$3.86 ৳471

63.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$12.38 ৳1,510

49.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$9.20 ৳1,122

509.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$4.02 ৳490

357.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$4.12 ৳503

3.40%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$28.72 ৳3,504

1603.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$994 ৳121.3K

482.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$16.33 ৳1,992

181.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$16.16 ৳1,972

121.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$36.29 ৳4,428

119.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$29.90 ৳3,648

170.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$130 ৳15.8K

780.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$57.5 ৳7,011

1104.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$172 ৳21.0K

1949.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$158 ৳19.3K

978.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$698 ৳85.1K

299.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$353 ৳43.0K

541.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$229 ৳28.0K

-26.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

10.98

25.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 15, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $130 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sylhet pays 35% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Sylhet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $119 per month, with Sylhet 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 Sylhet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Sylhet differ by about 279% in total monthly costs ($1,379 vs $364 including rent). Sylhet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Sylhet. 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $130 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 146% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Sylhet – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $364 in Sylhet versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sylhet but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sylhet 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 Sylhet 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 Sylhet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 279% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.