Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Kinabalu: $921 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kota Kinabalu
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Kota Kinabalu Living Index
67

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

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Kota Kinabalu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$921

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali.

Kota Kinabalu $921
Ubud, Bali $1,368

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,314 in Ubud, Bali.

Kota Kinabalu $1,421
Ubud, Bali $2,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,260 in Ubud, Bali.

Kota Kinabalu $1,921
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 33% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 32% below, Ubud, Bali is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.86

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

9.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.52 MYR 79.6

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-44.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.82 MYR 19.65

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-16.90%

Cappuccino

$2.57 MYR 10.50

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-5.86%

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

$0.59 MYR 2.41

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-64.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 MYR 1.20

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-65.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.19

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 MYR 15.28

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-12.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 MYR 5.28

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-43.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.43

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

95.76%

Eggs

$3.52 MYR 14.37

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

64.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.38 MYR 116

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

62.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.69 MYR 15.06

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-8.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.91 MYR 28.19

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-43.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 MYR 9.20

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-36.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.81

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-9.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MYR 7.78

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-14.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.88

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 MYR 6.79

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 MYR 8.44

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-9.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.06

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 MYR 1.95

$0.53 Rp 9,475

-9.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 MYR 19.64

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

110.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 MYR 66.1

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.76 MYR 15.36

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

60.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

-14.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 MYR 7.76

$0.24 Rp 4,315

691.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.22 MYR 176

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

390.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 MYR 7.77

$0.48 Rp 8,684

297.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 MYR 0.93

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-19.32%

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

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

73.17%

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

$34.8K MYR 142.1K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

11.65%

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

$69.4 MYR 283

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-16.44%

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

$9.25 MYR 37.75

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

43.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.46 MYR 132

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

74.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.3 MYR 209

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-8.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-83.05%

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 MYR 20.83

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

16.67%

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

$138 MYR 565

$493 Rp 8.9M

-71.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,981 MYR 28.5K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

21.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.7 MYR 333

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

76.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.02 MYR 151

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

4.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.7 MYR 374

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

15.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.12 MYR 196

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 MYR 1,786

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-61.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$190 MYR 775

$676 Rp 12.2M

-71.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 MYR 2,759

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-80.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 MYR 1,501

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-78.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,802 MYR 7,351

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

-35.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,089 MYR 4,444

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-51.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$578 MYR 2,356

$165 Rp 3.0M

250.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.9

13.78

-71.70%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: 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 Kinabalu

$290 31.5%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 0.1% $0.4

Accommodation & Living

Kota Kinabalu

$190 20.6%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 256% $486

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Kinabalu

$116 12.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 7.6% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Kinabalu

$111 12.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 2.7% $3

Eating Out

Kota Kinabalu

$98 10.6%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 11% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Kinabalu

$61 6.7%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 5% $3.1

Getting Around

Kota Kinabalu

$54 5.9%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 76.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 251% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $290 per month, with Kota Kinabalu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Kinabalu

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

Same time as Kota Kinabalu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,425

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 Kinabalu Ubud, Bali 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 251% higher in Kota Kinabalu, 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: $438 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,142 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 390% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $138 in Kota Kinabalu versus $493 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.