Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malang and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $474 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

23

Cost of Living Index in Malang
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Malang Living Index
67

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

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Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$474

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $474 per month in Malang vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Malang $474
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $729 per month in Malang vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Malang $729
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $984 per month in Malang vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Malang $984
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Malang is about 65% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Malang sits 65% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.11 Rp 19.9K

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

-66.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$11.07 Rp 199.2K

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-68.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-52.41%

Cappuccino

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-50.92%

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

$0.60 Rp 10.8K

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-63.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.23 Rp 4,146

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-72.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

-15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 Rp 76.6K

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

-1.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

-34.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 Rp 20.2K

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-51.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 Rp 15.2K

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

-28.81%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.4K

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-42.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 Rp 106.0K

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-66.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.09 Rp 55.6K

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-23.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 Rp 129.7K

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-41.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.3K

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-43.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

-19.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.4K

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

-29.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 Rp 25.7K

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-25.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

-30.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.6K

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-16.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.47 Rp 8,439

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

-52.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,580

$0.53 Rp 9,475

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

16.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.47 Rp 224.5K

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-45.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 Rp 30.1K

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

-28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.9K

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

3.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 Rp 10.7K

$0.24 Rp 4,315

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$5.61 Rp 100.9K

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

-36.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,631

$0.48 Rp 8,684

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 Rp 7,244

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-13.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.1K

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-15.91%

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

$24.9K Rp 448.9M

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

1.53%

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

$27.7K Rp 498.8M

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

-11.15%

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

$30.83 Rp 555.0K

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-62.86%

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

$2.41 Rp 43.3K

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

-62.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.51 Rp 351.1K

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

5.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.68 Rp 264.3K

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-73.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.47 Rp 80.5K

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-75.32%

Cinema Ticket

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

-56.16%

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

$30.88 Rp 555.9K

$493 Rp 8.9M

-93.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,452 Rp 170.1M

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

64.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 Rp 1.0M

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

22.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.41 Rp 403.4K

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-36.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 Rp 934.9K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-34.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.74 Rp 643.3K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-54.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 Rp 2.5M

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-88.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$91.5 Rp 1.6M

$676 Rp 12.2M

-86.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$193 Rp 3.5M

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-94.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$156 Rp 2.8M

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-90.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$203 Rp 3.7M

$165 Rp 3.0M

23.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

-70.97%

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

Last update for Malang: 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

Malang

$169 35.7%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 71.5% $121

Accommodation & Living

Malang

$92 19.3%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 638% $584

Clothing & Footwear

Malang

$75 15.8%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 43.5% $33

Eating Out

Malang

$56 11.9%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 92.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malang

$53 11.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 105% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Malang

$19 3.9%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 249% $46

Getting Around

Malang

$10 2.2%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 19.8% $2.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $136 in Malang versus $1,142 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 run about 24% higher in Malang, 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 $11.00 in Malang versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $169 vs $290 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Malang

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

21:31 9:31 PM

1 h ahead of Malang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

857,891

74,800

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Malang Ubud, Bali 300 km

From you

Malang
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

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

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 189%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $711 per month in Malang and $2,051 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 57% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $30.88 per month in Malang and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $474, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Malang – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Malang. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.