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: $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,460 in Kota Kinabalu versus $2,334 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,983 in Kota Kinabalu versus $3,273 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Kota Kinabalu costs roughly 33% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Kinabalu is 32% below, Ubud, Bali is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.64 MYR 14.72

$3.37 Rp 59.9K

8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.15 MYR 81.5

$38.59 Rp 685.5K

-47.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.03 MYR 20.35

$5.52 Rp 98.1K

-8.88%

Cappuccino

$2.76 MYR 11.16

$2.64 Rp 47.0K

4.55%

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

$0.56 MYR 2.25

$1.67 Rp 29.7K

-66.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 MYR 1.35

$0.77 Rp 13.7K

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MYR 10.10

$2.63 Rp 46.8K

-4.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 MYR 14.85

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

-14.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 MYR 7.46

$1.55 Rp 27.5K

18.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 MYR 5.49

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 MYR 9.34

$1.13 Rp 20.0K

104.42%

Eggs

$3.60 MYR 14.56

$2.09 Rp 37.1K

72.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.42 MYR 115

$17.39 Rp 309.0K

63.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 MYR 14.69

$3.87 Rp 68.7K

-6.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 MYR 27.42

$12.55 Rp 222.9K

-45.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 MYR 9.25

$3.62 Rp 64.2K

-36.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 MYR 5.61

$1.56 Rp 27.7K

-10.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.81

$2.35 Rp 41.8K

-17.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MYR 8.19

$2.06 Rp 36.5K

-1.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.18

$1.90 Rp 33.7K

-6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MYR 8.72

$2.34 Rp 41.5K

-7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MYR 4.19

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

0.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.77

$0.55 Rp 9,854

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.78 MYR 19.31

$2.25 Rp 40.0K

112.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.33 MYR 66.0

$23.81 Rp 422.9K

-31.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.69 MYR 14.91

$2.31 Rp 41.1K

59.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MYR 10.21

$2.80 Rp 49.8K

-9.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 MYR 7.90

$0.27 Rp 4,839

622.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.28 MYR 171

$8.66 Rp 153.9K

388.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 MYR 7.89

$0.48 Rp 8,554

306.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.24 MYR 0.97

$0.45 Rp 7,924

-46.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.70 MYR 2.83

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

-7.89%

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

$41.7K MYR 168.8K

$24.5K Rp 434.9M

70.50%

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

$35.6K MYR 143.8K

$32.1K Rp 570.6M

10.76%

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

$68.8 MYR 278

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

-17.71%

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

$9.77 MYR 39.48

$6.46 Rp 114.7K

51.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.19 MYR 130

$18.99 Rp 337.4K

69.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 MYR 213

$56.0 Rp 994.4K

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.06 MYR 12.37

$18.62 Rp 330.7K

-83.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.41 MYR 21.86

$4.28 Rp 76.1K

26.40%

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

$144 MYR 581

$487 Rp 8.6M

-70.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,144 MYR 28.9K

$5,856 Rp 104.0M

22.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.5 MYR 342

$45.56 Rp 809.3K

85.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 MYR 152

$36.38 Rp 646.3K

3.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.5 MYR 382

$82.0 Rp 1.5M

15.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 MYR 197

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

-39.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 MYR 1,733

$1,117 Rp 19.8M

-61.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$195 MYR 788

$701 Rp 12.5M

-72.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 MYR 2,750

$3,537 Rp 62.8M

-80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MYR 1,529

$1,762 Rp 31.3M

-78.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,845 MYR 7,458

$2,826 Rp 50.2M

-34.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,092 MYR 4,417

$2,292 Rp 40.7M

-52.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MYR 2,354

$170 Rp 3.0M

242.90%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in Kota Kinabalu and $1,117 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 243% 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 $39.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $293 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 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 243% 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: $429 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,117 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 388% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $144 in Kota Kinabalu versus $487 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $937 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,396 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 $937 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.