Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Kinabalu and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,763 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 40% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 36% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.52 MYR 14.41

$3.45 Rp 62.0K

2.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.53 MYR 75.8

$32.34 Rp 580.1K

-42.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.62 MYR 18.88

$4.84 Rp 86.9K

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$2.70 MYR 11.04

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

-1.82%

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

$0.65 MYR 2.64

$1.38 Rp 24.8K

-52.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.60

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.40 MYR 9.80

$2.99 Rp 53.7K

-19.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MYR 14.42

$3.85 Rp 69.1K

-8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 MYR 7.19

$1.74 Rp 31.1K

1.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 MYR 4.95

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

-50.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MYR 7.17

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

49.57%

Eggs

$2.78 MYR 11.35

$2.43 Rp 43.6K

14.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.05 MYR 107

$14.50 Rp 260.2K

79.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.61 MYR 14.77

$4.35 Rp 78.0K

-17.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.06 MYR 28.87

$11.98 Rp 214.9K

-41.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$3.72 Rp 66.7K

-32.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 MYR 4.76

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

-28.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 MYR 13.07

$2.74 Rp 49.2K

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MYR 8.10

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.17

$1.92 Rp 34.4K

-21.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 MYR 7.26

$2.28 Rp 40.8K

-22.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.63

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 MYR 17.07

$3.29 Rp 58.9K

26.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.66 MYR 64.0

$23.19 Rp 416.1K

-32.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MYR 7.84

$2.78 Rp 49.8K

-30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$2.73 Rp 49.0K

-40.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.56 MYR 6.36

$0.27 Rp 4,778

477.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.74 MYR 167

$8.11 Rp 145.4K

402.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.86 MYR 7.60

$0.48 Rp 8,659

287.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$0.42 Rp 7,532

11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MYR 23.61

$6.22 Rp 111.6K

-7.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

-43.21%

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

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

$26.6K Rp 477.4M

10.30%

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

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

$32.2K Rp 577.4M

-15.41%

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

$52.5 MYR 215

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-33.04%

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

$9.29 MYR 38.00

$4.07 Rp 73.0K

128.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.03 MYR 135

$24.33 Rp 436.4K

35.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.88 MYR 179

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-55.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.99 MYR 12.22

$6.34 Rp 113.7K

-52.84%

Cinema Ticket

$4.56 MYR 18.63

$3.99 Rp 71.5K

14.29%

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

$128 MYR 525

$305 Rp 5.5M

-57.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

$6,642 Rp 119.2M

-32.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.4 MYR 243

$54.1 Rp 971.2K

9.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.13 MYR 94.6

$37.81 Rp 678.2K

-38.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 MYR 290

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-18.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 MYR 384

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

22.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,546

$992 Rp 17.8M

-61.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 MYR 687

$673 Rp 12.1M

-75.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MYR 2,658

$3,375 Rp 60.5M

-80.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$362 MYR 1,483

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-82.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,793 MYR 7,334

$2,805 Rp 50.3M

-36.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,086 MYR 4,440

$2,227 Rp 39.9M

-51.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 MYR 2,432

$167 Rp 3.0M

256.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

13.28

-71.39%

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

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $378 in Kota Kinabalu and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 256% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $297 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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

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

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 66% 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 256% 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: $378 in Kota Kinabalu versus $992 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 402% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $128 in Kota Kinabalu versus $305 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,408 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 $848 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 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.