Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Petaling Jaya and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Petaling Jaya: $1,037 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index
67

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

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Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,037 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,037
Ubud, Bali $1,368

A couple spends around $1,499 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $2,314 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,499
Ubud, Bali $2,314

A family of three spends $1,962 per month in Petaling Jaya vs $3,260 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Petaling Jaya $1,962
Ubud, Bali $3,260

Petaling Jaya is about 24% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Petaling Jaya sits 23% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 1% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 MYR 98.8

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

-31.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.76 MYR 19.40

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

-17.93%

Cappuccino

$2.99 MYR 12.21

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

9.52%

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

$0.93 MYR 3.80

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

-43.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 MYR 1.81

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

-46.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 MYR 13.54

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

22.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.64 MYR 23.01

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

31.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MYR 7.53

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.16

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

-55.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MYR 6.02

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

25.42%

Eggs

$1.83 MYR 7.48

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

-14.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.93 MYR 40.53

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

-43.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.29 MYR 13.42

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

-18.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.51 MYR 38.81

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

-22.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

-1.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.70

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

20.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 MYR 11.07

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

20.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MYR 7.44

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

-5.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MYR 8.79

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

14.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 MYR 8.02

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

-13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 MYR 6.08

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

50.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 MYR 2.27

$0.53 Rp 9,475

5.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MYR 18.86

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

102.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MYR 78.6

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

-16.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MYR 10.69

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MYR 19.09

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

60.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.20 MYR 4.91

$0.24 Rp 4,315

400.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.34 MYR 50.3

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

39.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$0.48 Rp 8,684

156.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MYR 1.55

$0.46 Rp 8,233

-17.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 MYR 35.75

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

60.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 MYR 3.26

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

-9.09%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

69.86%

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

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

2.81%

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

$49.70 MYR 203

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

-40.13%

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

$7.99 MYR 32.61

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

23.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.77 MYR 109

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

44.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.5 MYR 214

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

-5.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.03 MYR 12.37

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

-83.27%

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MYR 20.12

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

12.56%

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

$273 MYR 1,114

$493 Rp 8.9M

-44.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

82.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 MYR 211

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.02 MYR 122

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

-15.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 MYR 320

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 MYR 353

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

10.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 MYR 1,966

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

-57.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 MYR 1,620

$676 Rp 12.2M

-41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$832 MYR 3,394

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

-76.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 MYR 2,281

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

-67.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

14.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$978 MYR 3,990

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

-56.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,707 MYR 6,964

$165 Rp 3.0M

937.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

13.78

-67.27%

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

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3%

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4% 70.1% $278

Groceries & Markets

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1%

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2% 16.4% $41

Eating Out

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8%

Ubud, Bali

$109 8% 3.1% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 3.1% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9% 27.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Petaling Jaya

$62 6%

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7% 3.5% $2.2

Getting Around

Petaling Jaya

$20 2%

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9% 38.1% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Petaling Jaya 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 937% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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 $24.00 in Petaling Jaya versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $249 vs $290 – making Petaling Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

Same time as Petaling Jaya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

771,687

74,800

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Petaling Jaya Ubud, Bali 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Petaling Jaya
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 32% more than Petaling Jaya, 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 $1,556 per month in Petaling Jaya 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 Petaling Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Petaling Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $273 per month in Petaling Jaya and $493 in Ubud, Bali. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Petaling Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Petaling Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Petaling Jaya costs $1,037 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Petaling Jaya. 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.