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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $893 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,364 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,834 in Zakho.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 61% more expensive than Zakho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Zakho is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.6K

$7.72 IQD 10.1K

-53.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 562.6K

$22.91 IQD 30.0K

42.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.5K

$8.68 IQD 11.4K

-41.59%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 48.8K

$3.13 IQD 4,095

-9.58%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.1K

$0.48 IQD 628

179.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.22 IQD 288

213.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.6K

$2.01 IQD 2,629

48.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.4K

$2.08 IQD 2,722

85.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.1K

$1.37 IQD 1,789

27.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 43.8K

$0.81 IQD 1,056

213.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.79 IQD 2,351

-33.52%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 41.9K

$1.97 IQD 2,585

23.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 253.2K

$7.57 IQD 9,916

93.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.1K

$4.79 IQD 6,274

-12.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.1K

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

-14.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.6K

$1.15 IQD 1,502

220.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.7K

$1.14 IQD 1,493

41.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.4K

$1.17 IQD 1,537

129.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.2K

$0.81 IQD 1,064

187.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 32.9K

$0.67 IQD 879

185.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.7K

$0.76 IQD 990

188.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.77 IQD 1,013

37.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.52 IQD 687

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.1K

$2.73 IQD 3,576

14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 405.6K

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

92.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.3K

$1.43 IQD 1,871

91.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.7K

$2.04 IQD 2,668

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,010

$0.40 IQD 522

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.0K

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

-74.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,834

$2.32 IQD 3,034

-80.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,278

$2.30 IQD 3,013

-81.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.3K

$6.74 IQD 8,823

-8.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.5K

$0.70 IQD 913

20.00%

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

$26.2K Rp 453.1M

$18.8K IQD 24.6M

39.82%

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

$32.5K Rp 560.8M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

59.27%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$99.3 IQD 130.1K

-21.06%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.2K

$17.84 IQD 23.4K

-77.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 421.4K

$29.52 IQD 38.7K

-17.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$37.43 IQD 49.0K

157.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 109.6K

$16.78 IQD 22.0K

-62.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 69.7K

$11.46 IQD 15.0K

-64.75%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$266 IQD 348.1K

13.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 112.6M

$3,229 IQD 4.2M

101.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 929.5K

$33.39 IQD 43.7K

61.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 655.8K

$48.02 IQD 62.9K

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$80.8 IQD 105.9K

7.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$78.5 IQD 102.8K

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$238 IQD 311.4K

325.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.6M

$178 IQD 233.2K

278.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.5M

$584 IQD 764.9K

480.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.2M

$343 IQD 449.7K

511.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$646 IQD 846.6K

-73.21%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Zakho: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $238 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 273% 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 $23.00 in Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $195 per month, with Zakho 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 Zakho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zakho wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zakho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Zakho earns 273% 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 $238 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $266 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Zakho versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Zakho but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Zakho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zakho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $893 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zakho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Zakho 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 Zakho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.