You should use perlbrew; this is the actual way to do it. Maybe Ubuntu people won't like this way because it is not package based, but if you need to involve yourself into Perl, this is a prerequisite. The installation process is painless, and you don't have to be afraid by compiling Perl..
Depending on your needs, take also a look at cpanminus and local::lib. It will make you life easier.
None of those require root privileges; you have to enjoy this.
Don't forget that using the Ubuntu outdated Perl packages is silly, because they are ancient versions, and you just don't need to hurt yourself by using this old stuff.
See also this answer.