Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butterworth and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $913 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Butterworth, Malaysia
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Butterworth
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$913
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Butterworth and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Butterworth and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $913 per month in Butterworth vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Butterworth $913
  • Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,408 per month in Butterworth vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Butterworth $1,408
  • Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,902 per month in Butterworth vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Butterworth $1,902
  • Ubud, Bali $3,261

Butterworth is about 32% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.72 MYR 15.16
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
12.05%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.36 MYR 78.8
$35.64 Rp 646.7K
-45.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.77 MYR 19.43
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
-13.74%
Cappuccino
$2.89 MYR 11.76
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
6.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.73 MYR 2.96
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
-57.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.36 MYR 1.48
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
-52.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.12 MYR 16.78
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
55.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 MYR 17.82
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.12 MYR 8.61
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
42.28%
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 MYR 4.48
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
-51.75%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 MYR 6.88
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
42.02%
Eggs
$2.24 MYR 9.13
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
9.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.69 MYR 55.7
$17.70 Rp 321.2K
-22.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.49 MYR 18.26
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.64 MYR 35.18
$12.19 Rp 221.2K
-29.12%
Apples (1kg)
$3.06 MYR 12.47
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
-16.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 MYR 6.95
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 MYR 9.07
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
-
Tomato (1kg)
$1.47 MYR 5.98
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
-25.38%
Potato (1kg)
$1.06 MYR 4.33
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
-42.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 MYR 4.42
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
-54.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.09 MYR 4.43
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
10.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.58 MYR 2.38
$0.51 Rp 9,316
13.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 MYR 17.76
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
96.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.00 MYR 77.3
$22.24 Rp 403.6K
-14.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.93 MYR 11.91
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
29.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.98 MYR 20.27
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
67.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.70 MYR 2.84
$0.25 Rp 4,555
180.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.85 MYR 44.18
$7.82 Rp 142.0K
38.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.19 MYR 4.83
$0.44 Rp 7,975
170.45%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 MYR 1.53
$0.43 Rp 7,804
-11.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.85 MYR 19.72
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
-10.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.89 MYR 3.61
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
8.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$43.5K MYR 177.0K
$23.8K Rp 432.6M
82.38%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K MYR 144.4K
$31.7K Rp 576.1M
11.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.81 MYR 150
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
-53.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.61 MYR 35.03
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
33.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.45 MYR 108
$18.58 Rp 337.1K
42.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.93 MYR 134
$49.48 Rp 897.9K
-33.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.90 MYR 24.00
$17.65 Rp 320.2K
-66.57%
Cinema Ticket
$4.79 MYR 19.52
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
12.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$240 MYR 977
$491 Rp 8.9M
-51.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.9K MYR 44.3K
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
91.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.8 MYR 243
$44.64 Rp 810.0K
33.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.01 MYR 143
$34.95 Rp 634.2K
0.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.5 MYR 336
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
3.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.5 MYR 283
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
-12.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$412 MYR 1,678
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
-63.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$300 MYR 1,223
$671 Rp 12.2M
-55.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$813 MYR 3,309
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
-77.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$563 MYR 2,292
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
-67.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,966 MYR 8,002
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
-28.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,205 MYR 4,905
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
-47.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Butterworth
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$164 Rp 3.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.04
13.78
-70.68%

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

Last update for Butterworth: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Butterworth
$300
Ubud, Bali
$672 124% $371
Groceries & Markets
Butterworth
$258
Ubud, Bali
$288 11.6% $30
Eating Out
Butterworth
$113
Ubud, Bali
$108 4.3% $4.8
Clothing & Footwear
Butterworth
$111
Ubud, Bali
$108 3.2% $3.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Butterworth
$72
Ubud, Bali
$104 44.8% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Butterworth
$43
Ubud, Bali
$58 36.5% $16
Getting Around
Butterworth
$17
Ubud, Bali
$11 31.6% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $412 in Butterworth versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Butterworth versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $288 – making Butterworth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Butterworth
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
00:51 12:51 AM
00:51 12:51 AM
Same time as Butterworth
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
339,132
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,249 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Butterworth Ubud, Bali 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Butterworth
  • Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Butterworth vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Butterworth and in Ubud, Bali compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $913 in Butterworth, $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Butterworth comes out roughly 32% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Butterworth compared to Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,370 per month in Butterworth and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Butterworth and Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Butterworth, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $412 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
Which city is more expensive overall: Butterworth or Ubud, Bali?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $913 in Butterworth and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. That makes Butterworth about 32% cheaper.
How do commuting costs compare in Butterworth and in Ubud, Bali?
Public transport costs about 28% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Butterworth, where all-in costs run around $913, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Butterworth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Butterworth or Ubud, Bali?
Families tend to lean toward Butterworth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Butterworth or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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