Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kulim and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index
65

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

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Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $891 per month in Kulim vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kulim $891
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,374 per month in Kulim vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kulim $1,374
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,857 per month in Kulim vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Kulim $1,857
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Kulim is about 34% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.21

$3.32 Rp 59.9K

12.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 79.5

$35.64 Rp 642.4K

-45.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.50

$5.53 Rp 99.7K

-18.08%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.80

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

6.25%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.20

$1.70 Rp 30.7K

-54.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$0.76 Rp 13.7K

-44.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$2.65 Rp 47.8K

47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.82

$4.38 Rp 79.0K

5.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.49 Rp 26.9K

31.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

-46.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$1.19 Rp 21.5K

9.24%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$2.04 Rp 36.7K

9.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 MYR 51.8

$17.70 Rp 319.1K

-28.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 MYR 15.75

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

-2.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 MYR 43.82

$12.19 Rp 219.7K

-12.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.46

$3.66 Rp 65.9K

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$1.52 Rp 27.4K

24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

14.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.90

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

-26.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$1.85 Rp 33.3K

-35.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$2.42 Rp 43.7K

-43.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$0.51 Rp 9,255

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MYR 18.28

$2.22 Rp 40.0K

101.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 MYR 86.1

$22.24 Rp 400.9K

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$2.26 Rp 40.7K

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$2.97 Rp 53.5K

31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$0.25 Rp 4,525

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 MYR 51.7

$7.82 Rp 141.0K

61.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$0.44 Rp 7,923

136.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$0.43 Rp 7,753

30.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MYR 33.75

$5.41 Rp 97.5K

52.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$0.82 Rp 14.9K

-9.76%

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

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

$23.8K Rp 429.7M

104.99%

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

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

$31.7K Rp 572.3M

-2.64%

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

$45.19 MYR 185

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-42.84%

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

$8.70 MYR 35.55

$6.45 Rp 116.2K

34.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 106

$18.58 Rp 334.9K

39.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MYR 148

$49.48 Rp 892.0K

-27.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.37 MYR 30.13

$17.65 Rp 318.1K

-58.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.22

$4.27 Rp 77.0K

4.45%

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

$268 MYR 1,094

$491 Rp 8.8M

-45.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

$5,674 Rp 102.3M

25.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MYR 254

$44.64 Rp 804.7K

39.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.78 MYR 126

$34.95 Rp 630.1K

-11.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 315

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 290

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 MYR 1,713

$1,125 Rp 20.3M

-62.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,082

$671 Rp 12.1M

-60.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MYR 3,119

$3,565 Rp 64.3M

-78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,032

$1,723 Rp 31.1M

-71.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 MYR 8,749

$2,732 Rp 49.2M

-21.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MYR 5,200

$2,284 Rp 41.2M

-44.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

13.78

-70.54%

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

Last update for Kulim: 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

Kulim

$265 29.7%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 154% $407

Groceries & Markets

Kulim

$262 29.4%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 10.3% $27

Eating Out

Kulim

$112 12.5%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 3.4% $3.8

Clothing & Footwear

Kulim

$108 12.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 0.8% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kulim

$80 9%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 30.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Kulim

$45 5.1%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 28.9% $13

Getting Around

Kulim

$19 2.2%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 41.4% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $419 in Kulim 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kulim versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $288 – making Kulim the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kulim

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

Same time as Kulim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,056

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 = 5.55 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 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 = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,025 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.55 USD). 1 EUR = 20,061 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Kulim Ubud, Bali 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Kulim
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 51% more than Kulim, 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 $1,336 per month in Kulim 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 Kulim, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $419 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 10% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Kulim and $36 in Ubud, Bali. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $891 in Kulim and $1,349 in Ubud, Bali. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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.