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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $890 in Zakho versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

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

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

Living in Zakho costs roughly 36% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

117.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.31 IQD 30.5K

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

-27.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

71.86%

Cappuccino

$3.09 IQD 4,043

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

9.57%

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

$0.52 IQD 677

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

-61.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 262

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

-72.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 IQD 2,636

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

-31.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 IQD 2,825

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

-45.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 IQD 1,750

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

-24.72%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 IQD 1,040

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

-67.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 IQD 2,432

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

61.74%

Eggs

$1.90 IQD 2,491

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

-21.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 IQD 9,721

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

-48.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.73 IQD 6,199

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

12.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.98 IQD 18.3K

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

15.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,487

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

-68.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,551

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-59.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 IQD 1,068

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

-63.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.66 IQD 860

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 933

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

-68.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 IQD 967

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

-29.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 IQD 692

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-32.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 IQD 3,569

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

-14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

-47.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 IQD 1,807

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

-52.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 IQD 2,661

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

-26.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 IQD 473

$0.27 Rp 4,813

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

266.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.27 IQD 2,976

$0.45 Rp 8,167

404.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 IQD 2,912

$0.46 Rp 8,298

382.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 IQD 9,142

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

14.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 IQD 919

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

-18.60%

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

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

-28.61%

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

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

-35.86%

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

$101 IQD 131.6K

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

27.20%

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

$17.58 IQD 23.0K

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

329.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.20 IQD 39.5K

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-63.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 IQD 22.3K

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

168.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.42 IQD 15.0K

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

184.79%

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

$267 IQD 349.6K

$297 Rp 5.4M

-10.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,247 IQD 4.3M

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

-50.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.29 IQD 42.3K

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

-39.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.66 IQD 63.7K

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

27.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 IQD 109.9K

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-5.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 IQD 102.9K

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

2.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 IQD 311.3K

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

-76.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.8K

$680 Rp 12.3M

-73.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 IQD 753.6K

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

-83.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 IQD 447.6K

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

-83.64%

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)

$663 IQD 867.7K

$164 Rp 3.0M

304.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

13.28

-57.30%

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

Last update for Zakho: July 25, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Zakho and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. 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: $23.00 in Zakho vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $298 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

Zakho vs Ubud, Bali: 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.

Average pay runs 305% higher in Zakho, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $238 in Zakho versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $267 in Zakho versus $297 in Ubud, Bali. 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, Zakho and Ubud, Bali 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.