Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Lumpur and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
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Kuala Lumpur Living Index
65

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

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Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,074 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,074
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,622 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $1,622
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $2,170 per month in Kuala Lumpur vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kuala Lumpur $2,170
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Kuala Lumpur is about 20% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.98 MYR 20.28

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.03 MYR 118

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

-18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 MYR 19.78

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

-12.30%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MYR 12.30

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

11.03%

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

$0.79 MYR 3.21

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-53.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.85

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-40.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 MYR 18.24

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

69.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 MYR 25.11

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

40.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.11 MYR 8.60

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

41.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 MYR 4.56

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

-50.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MYR 7.86

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

62.18%

Eggs

$2.46 MYR 10.01

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

20.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 MYR 58.0

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

-19.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.37 MYR 17.80

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

10.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 MYR 40.19

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

-19.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 MYR 14.09

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

-5.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 MYR 7.25

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

17.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.24

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MYR 6.16

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

-23.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 MYR 5.01

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-33.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

-46.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

15.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 MYR 2.88

$0.51 Rp 9,332

39.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MYR 17.46

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

93.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.77 MYR 80.5

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 MYR 13.71

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MYR 20.45

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

69.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$0.25 Rp 4,562

180.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.44 MYR 50.7

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

59.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.87

$0.44 Rp 7,989

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.07

$0.43 Rp 7,817

190.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 MYR 20.30

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

-7.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.62

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

8.54%

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

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

86.86%

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

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

9.04%

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

$63.5 MYR 259

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-19.73%

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

$8.62 MYR 35.13

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

33.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.24 MYR 107

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

41.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.20 MYR 200

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

-0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.32 MYR 29.84

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

-58.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 MYR 20.27

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

16.39%

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

$472 MYR 1,921

$491 Rp 8.9M

-3.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K MYR 53.8K

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

132.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 MYR 294

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

61.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 MYR 169

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 MYR 342

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 MYR 384

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,792

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 MYR 1,459

$671 Rp 12.2M

-46.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 MYR 4,938

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

-66.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 MYR 2,417

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-65.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

37.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MYR 6,375

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

-31.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,458 MYR 5,939

$164 Rp 3.0M

789.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.17

13.78

-69.74%

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

Last update for Kuala Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 87.6% $314

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 5.2% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 18.1% $24

Eating Out

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 17.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 5.9% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 1.9% $1.1

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 49.6% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $685 in Kuala Lumpur 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.

Salaries in Kuala Lumpur are about 8.9 times higher, 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 $29 in Kuala Lumpur versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $288 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

06:59 6:59 AM

Same time as Kuala Lumpur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,982,112 Capital

74,800

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kuala Lumpur Ubud, Bali 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Lumpur
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

Kuala Lumpur vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,611 per month in Kuala Lumpur and $2,023 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $685 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $29 in Kuala Lumpur and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.