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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $864 in Zakho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,359 in Zakho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,854 in Zakho.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 63% more expensive than Zakho, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Zakho is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$7.58 IQD 9,926

-52.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$22.64 IQD 29.7K

43.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$8.88 IQD 11.6K

-45.27%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$3.19 IQD 4,184

-13.79%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.48 IQD 628

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.22 IQD 288

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.03 IQD 2,656

43.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.04 IQD 2,673

85.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.33 IQD 1,739

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.79 IQD 1,039

212.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.86 IQD 2,434

-35.48%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.90 IQD 2,489

28.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$7.27 IQD 9,524

97.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$4.81 IQD 6,294

-10.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$14.09 IQD 18.5K

-13.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.15 IQD 1,510

220.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.19 IQD 1,558

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.18 IQD 1,541

136.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.81 IQD 1,062

187.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.66 IQD 864

198.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.71 IQD 933

225.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.72 IQD 947

47.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.56 IQD 727

30.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$2.62 IQD 3,430

25.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$12.35 IQD 16.2K

84.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.45 IQD 1,898

93.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.94 IQD 2,542

43.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.40 IQD 521

-27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$30.88 IQD 40.4K

-73.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$2.26 IQD 2,965

-80.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$2.23 IQD 2,921

-79.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$7.00 IQD 9,165

-10.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.70 IQD 912

21.43%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.2K IQD 25.1M

35.42%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$20.6K IQD 27.0M

53.79%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$100 IQD 131.0K

-19.27%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$17.47 IQD 22.9K

-76.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$29.69 IQD 38.9K

-17.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$37.17 IQD 48.7K

162.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$17.01 IQD 22.3K

-62.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$11.66 IQD 15.3K

-65.35%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$272 IQD 355.7K

11.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$3,319 IQD 4.3M

99.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$32.98 IQD 43.2K

64.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$49.77 IQD 65.2K

-22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$82.0 IQD 107.4K

5.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$76.1 IQD 99.6K

0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$246 IQD 321.7K

301.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$180 IQD 236.0K

265.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$580 IQD 759.4K

481.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$343 IQD 448.6K

503.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$659 IQD 863.5K

-75.22%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Zakho: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $246 in Zakho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Zakho pays 304% 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 $297 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 63% 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 304% 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 $246 in Zakho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $272 in Zakho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $864 in Zakho versus $1,404 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 $864 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 63% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.