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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $347 in Sylhet.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $561 in Sylhet.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $774 in Sylhet.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 304% more expensive than Sylhet, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Sylhet is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$2.07 ৳253

72.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$10.54 ৳1,292

208.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.18 ৳512

16.27%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 ৳494

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 ৳520

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.83 ৳224

50.27%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.31 ৳38.51

325.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.17 ৳20.78

311.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.76 ৳92.7

125.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.46 ৳56.3

436.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.60 ৳73.9

100.00%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.25 ৳153

95.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$6.90 ৳846

108.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.45 ৳300

75.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$6.13 ৳751

99.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.15 ৳264

71.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.01 ৳123

53.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.10 ৳257

32.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.48 ৳58.5

385.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.39 ৳47.43

405.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.62 ৳76.5

272.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.33 ৳39.83

221.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.28 ৳34.72

160.71%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.82 ৳346

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 ৳269

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ৳534

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.72 ৳333

20.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.40 ৳48.48

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$16.37 ৳2,006

-50.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.85 ৳104

-47.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.34 ৳41.95

32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$1.52 ৳186

310.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.99 ৳121

-14.14%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$28.7K ৳3.5M

-9.35%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$25.0K ৳3.1M

26.77%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$30.06 ৳3,684

168.63%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$4.72 ৳579

-13.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$13.04 ৳1,598

87.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$9.83 ৳1,204

893.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$7.96 ৳976

-18.97%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.00 ৳491

1.00%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$36.96 ৳4,529

722.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$953 ৳116.8K

594.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$13.96 ৳1,711

288.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$17.20 ৳2,107

125.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$38.54 ৳4,722

123.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$36.09 ৳4,422

112.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$70.3 ৳8,615

1301.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$59.6 ৳7,303

1003.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$164 ৳20.1K

1951.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$113 ৳13.8K

1730.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$696 ৳85.3K

293.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$351 ৳43.0K

534.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$222 ৳27.1K

-26.22%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Sylhet: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $70.3 in Sylhet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sylhet pays 36% 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 $297 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 304% in total monthly costs ($1,404 vs $347 including rent). Sylhet is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sylhet earns 36% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $70.3 in Sylhet. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 181% 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 $347 in Sylhet versus $1,404 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 304% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.