Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $975 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Serdang
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$975
/mo nomad
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $975 per month in Serdang vs $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Serdang $975
  • Ubud, Bali $1,353

A couple spends around $1,441 per month in Serdang vs $2,297 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Serdang $1,441
  • Ubud, Bali $2,297

A family of three spends $1,906 per month in Serdang vs $3,241 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

  • Serdang $1,906
  • Ubud, Bali $3,241

Serdang is about 28% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Serdang sits 28% below the global median, while Ubud, Bali is 0% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.48 MYR 10.13
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
-23.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.85 MYR 68.8
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
-51.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.76 MYR 15.33
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
-34.04%
Cappuccino
$1.94 MYR 7.92
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
-25.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 MYR 3.43
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
-51.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.47 MYR 1.94
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
-41.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.39 MYR 17.92
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
65.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.21 MYR 25.34
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
42.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.04 MYR 8.33
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
29.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 MYR 4.55
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
-48.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.93 MYR 7.87
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
63.56%
Eggs
$2.54 MYR 10.37
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
17.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.78 MYR 56.2
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
-21.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.54 MYR 18.50
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
20.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.91 MYR 40.41
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
-17.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.33 MYR 13.57
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
-7.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 MYR 7.60
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
16.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.25 MYR 9.20
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
-2.60%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.61 MYR 6.58
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
-15.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.28 MYR 5.24
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
-28.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 MYR 5.46
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
-42.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 MYR 4.57
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
12.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 MYR 2.95
$0.53 Rp 9,509
35.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.31 MYR 17.59
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
88.21%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.36 MYR 79.0
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
-12.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.47 MYR 14.17
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
47.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.88 MYR 19.89
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
63.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 MYR 3.10
$0.23 Rp 4,112
230.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$12.22 MYR 49.86
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
37.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.20 MYR 4.88
$0.47 Rp 8,466
155.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 MYR 5.07
$0.43 Rp 7,737
188.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.77 MYR 19.45
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
-12.80%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 MYR 3.36
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
-1.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.2K MYR 168.1K
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
72.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.2K MYR 143.7K
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
7.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$63.2 MYR 258
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
-20.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.89 MYR 36.28
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
35.52%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.10 MYR 106
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
40.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.33 MYR 165
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
-25.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.11 MYR 29.00
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
-61.11%
Cinema Ticket
$5.09 MYR 20.74
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
19.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$297 MYR 1,210
$493 Rp 8.9M
-39.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.2K MYR 54.0K
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
136.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.7 MYR 297
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
59.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.98 MYR 171
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
20.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 MYR 356
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
12.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.0 MYR 392
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
22.25%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$409 MYR 1,669
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
-63.85%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$302 MYR 1,231
$673 Rp 12.1M
-55.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$682 MYR 2,783
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
-81.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$479 MYR 1,954
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
-71.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,055 MYR 8,382
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
-24.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,069 MYR 4,360
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
-52.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Serdang
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$989 MYR 4,035
$166 Rp 3.0M
494.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.18
13.78
-69.67%

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

Last update for Serdang: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Serdang
$302
Ubud, Bali
$673 123% $371
Groceries & Markets
Serdang
$274
Ubud, Bali
$287 5% $14
Clothing & Footwear
Serdang
$134
Ubud, Bali
$107 20.6% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Serdang
$98
Ubud, Bali
$105 7.1% $7
Eating Out
Serdang
$94
Ubud, Bali
$106 13.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Serdang
$51
Ubud, Bali
$63 24% $12
Getting Around
Serdang
$23
Ubud, Bali
$12 45.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $409 in Serdang versus $1,131 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 495% higher in Serdang, 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 $17.00 in Serdang versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $287 – making Serdang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Serdang
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🕒 Local time
14:31 2:31 PM
14:31 2:31 PM
Same time as Serdang
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
130,252
74,800
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 25, 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 25, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Serdang Ubud, Bali 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Serdang
  • 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
Serdang vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Serdang and in Ubud, Bali compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $975 in Serdang, $1,353 in Ubud, Bali – roughly 39% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Serdang compared to Ubud, Bali?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,462 per month in Serdang and $2,030 in Ubud, Bali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Serdang and Ubud, Bali?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Serdang, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 5% 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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $17.00 in Serdang and $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Serdang, where all-in costs run around $975, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Serdang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Serdang and Ubud, Bali?
It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $975 in Serdang to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Serdang or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Serdang and Ubud, Bali?
If budget matters most, go with Serdang. 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.

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