Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $692 per month in Kota Bharu vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kota Bharu $692
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,072 per month in Kota Bharu vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $1,452 per month in Kota Bharu vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Kota Bharu is about 49% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kota Bharu sits 49% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-34.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-44.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-21.03%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-20.15%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-70.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-68.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

57.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

4.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-29.66%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-27.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-45.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-18.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

21.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-41.45%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-48.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-51.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$0.53 Rp 9,475

-15.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-17.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

24.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

82.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$0.24 Rp 4,315

220.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

39.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$0.48 Rp 8,684

260.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-19.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

-32.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-40.91%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

28.17%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-7.12%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-54.91%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

34.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

36.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-11.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

2.28%

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

$125 MYR 508

$493 Rp 8.9M

-74.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

88.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

17.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-45.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-0.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-11.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-78.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$676 Rp 12.2M

-81.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-80.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-86.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$299 MYR 1,221

$165 Rp 3.0M

81.88%

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 Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 26.5% $61

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 452% $553

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 7.5% $7.5

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 20.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 51.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 10.2% $6

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 33.9% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $248 in Kota Bharu versus $1,142 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.

Salaries run about 82% higher in Kota Bharu, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Kota Bharu versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $290 – making Kota Bharu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

74,800

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kota Bharu Ubud, Bali 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

Kota Bharu vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 98% more than Kota Bharu, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,037 per month in Kota Bharu and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Bharu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Kota Bharu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $125 per month in Kota Bharu and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kota Bharu, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Kota Bharu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kota Bharu costs $692 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kota Bharu. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.