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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $351 in Sylhet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $562 in Sylhet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $774 in Sylhet.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 310% more expensive than Sylhet, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Sylhet is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$2.09 ৳256

70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$10.72 ৳1,316

203.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.07 ৳500

24.57%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.06 ৳498

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 ৳534

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.87 ৳229

51.34%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.35 ৳42.50

282.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.15 ৳19.02

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.76 ৳92.9

128.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.50 ৳61.9

408.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.66 ৳80.5

80.30%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.21 ৳148

100.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$6.80 ৳835

115.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.58 ৳317

62.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$6.23 ৳765

91.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.15 ৳264

71.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.01 ৳124

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.99 ৳244

35.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.51 ৳62.1

356.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.38 ৳46.95

402.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.66 ৳81.6

231.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.35 ৳43.56

202.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.26 ৳31.56

176.92%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.77 ৳462

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 ৳285

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 ৳553

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.68 ৳330

16.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.39 ৳48.33

-25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$16.46 ৳2,021

-50.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.81 ৳99.1

-44.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.35 ৳42.46

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$1.45 ৳178

324.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.91 ৳112

-7.69%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$28.2K ৳3.5M

-6.91%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$25.7K ৳3.2M

26.15%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$29.98 ৳3,680

161.57%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.77 ৳585

-17.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$12.95 ৳1,589

88.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$10.12 ৳1,242

853.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$8.29 ৳1,017

-23.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.16 ৳511

-2.88%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$36.61 ৳4,494

726.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$922 ৳113.1K

607.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$13.81 ৳1,695

289.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$16.97 ৳2,084

123.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$38.31 ৳4,702

126.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$36.69 ৳4,504

114.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$68.5 ৳8,411

1377.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$60.7 ৳7,445

1012.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$164 ৳20.1K

1969.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$112 ৳13.8K

1769.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$595 ৳73.1K

401.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$311 ৳38.2K

651.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$231 ৳28.4K

-25.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

8.83

50.40%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $68.5 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sylhet 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: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Sylhet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $106 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 310% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $351 including rent). Sylhet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sylhet earns 34% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $68.5 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 180% 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $351 in Sylhet versus $1,438 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 310% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.