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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $890 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,364 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,839 in Zakho.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 56% more expensive than in Zakho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Zakho is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

-54.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$23.31 IQD 30.5K

38.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

-41.81%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$3.09 IQD 4,043

-8.74%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.52 IQD 677

159.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.20 IQD 262

265.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.01 IQD 2,636

45.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$2.16 IQD 2,825

82.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.34 IQD 1,750

32.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.79 IQD 1,040

210.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.86 IQD 2,432

-38.17%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$1.90 IQD 2,491

26.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$7.42 IQD 9,721

93.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$4.73 IQD 6,199

-11.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$13.98 IQD 18.3K

-13.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.14 IQD 1,487

219.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.18 IQD 1,551

33.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.13 IQD 1,479

146.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.82 IQD 1,068

173.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.66 IQD 860

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.71 IQD 933

221.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.74 IQD 967

41.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.53 IQD 692

49.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$2.73 IQD 3,569

16.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

92.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.38 IQD 1,807

110.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.03 IQD 2,661

35.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.36 IQD 473

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

-72.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$2.27 IQD 2,976

-80.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$2.22 IQD 2,912

-79.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$6.98 IQD 9,142

-13.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.70 IQD 919

22.86%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

40.07%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

55.90%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$101 IQD 131.6K

-21.38%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$17.58 IQD 23.0K

-76.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$30.20 IQD 39.5K

-21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

171.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$17.06 IQD 22.3K

-62.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$11.42 IQD 15.0K

-64.89%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$267 IQD 349.6K

11.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$3,247 IQD 4.3M

103.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$32.29 IQD 42.3K

65.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$48.66 IQD 63.7K

-21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$83.9 IQD 109.9K

5.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$78.6 IQD 102.9K

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$238 IQD 311.3K

329.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$181 IQD 236.8K

276.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$576 IQD 753.6K

502.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$342 IQD 447.6K

511.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$663 IQD 867.7K

-75.30%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Zakho: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $238 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 305% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Zakho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $194 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 56% 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, salaries run 305% lower in Zakho. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $238 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $267 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $890 in Zakho versus $1,392 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 $890 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 56% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.