Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $846 in Sungai Petani versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,285 in Sungai Petani versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,723 in Sungai Petani versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Sungai Petani costs roughly 40% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sungai Petani is 37% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.13 MYR 12.47
$3.56 Rp 63.9K
-12.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.87 MYR 83.3
$32.73 Rp 586.8K
-36.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.36 MYR 17.39
$4.95 Rp 88.7K
-11.92%
Cappuccino
$1.70 MYR 6.78
$2.71 Rp 48.6K
-37.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.49 MYR 1.96
$1.34 Rp 24.1K
-63.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25 MYR 1.00
$0.70 Rp 12.5K
-64.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.24 MYR 16.90
$2.92 Rp 52.3K
45.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 MYR 11.47
$3.96 Rp 70.9K
-27.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.83 MYR 7.32
$1.81 Rp 32.4K
1.10%
White Bread (500g)
$0.68 MYR 2.71
$2.52 Rp 45.1K
-73.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 MYR 5.00
$1.16 Rp 20.8K
7.76%
Eggs
$2.04 MYR 8.13
$2.46 Rp 44.1K
-17.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.08 MYR 60.2
$14.71 Rp 263.7K
2.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.52 MYR 14.06
$4.32 Rp 77.4K
-18.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.87 MYR 39.39
$12.14 Rp 217.5K
-18.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.92 MYR 11.64
$3.84 Rp 68.8K
-23.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.44 MYR 5.73
$1.56 Rp 27.9K
-7.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.70 MYR 10.78
$2.83 Rp 50.8K
-4.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.08 MYR 8.30
$2.33 Rp 41.7K
-10.73%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 MYR 4.69
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
-38.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.21 MYR 4.82
$2.20 Rp 39.5K
-45.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.95 MYR 3.79
$1.01 Rp 18.2K
-5.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.46 MYR 1.82
$0.78 Rp 13.9K
-41.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.08 MYR 16.27
$3.32 Rp 59.4K
22.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.86 MYR 79.2
$23.74 Rp 425.5K
-16.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.73 MYR 10.88
$2.79 Rp 50.0K
-2.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.49 MYR 13.92
$2.86 Rp 51.3K
22.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.74 MYR 2.93
$0.27 Rp 4,819
174.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$11.62 MYR 46.36
$8.03 Rp 143.9K
44.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 MYR 2.78
$0.46 Rp 8,181
52.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.50 MYR 1.98
$0.45 Rp 8,068
11.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.27 MYR 29.00
$6.10 Rp 109.3K
19.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.50 MYR 2.00
$0.79 Rp 14.2K
-36.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.2K MYR 132.5K
$26.1K Rp 468.8M
27.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.3K MYR 109.0K
$32.1K Rp 575.8M
-14.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$38.81 MYR 155
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
-51.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.26 MYR 40.95
$4.06 Rp 72.9K
152.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.36 MYR 125
$23.52 Rp 421.6K
33.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.11 MYR 148
$98.7 Rp 1.8M
-62.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.95 MYR 23.73
$6.63 Rp 118.8K
-10.26%
Cinema Ticket
$2.84 MYR 11.34
$4.15 Rp 74.3K
-31.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$241 MYR 962
$304 Rp 5.4M
-20.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,305 MYR 25.2K
$6,613 Rp 118.5M
-4.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$54.1 MYR 216
$55.5 Rp 995.6K
-2.66%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.28 MYR 117
$38.31 Rp 686.7K
-23.57%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$61.0 MYR 243
$88.6 Rp 1.6M
-31.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$52.3 MYR 209
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
-32.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$379 MYR 1,514
$1,006 Rp 18.0M
-62.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$273 MYR 1,091
$675 Rp 12.1M
-59.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$644 MYR 2,569
$3,442 Rp 61.7M
-81.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$466 MYR 1,860
$2,039 Rp 36.6M
-77.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,277 MYR 5,095
$2,841 Rp 50.9M
-55.05%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$501 MYR 2,000
$2,264 Rp 40.6M
-77.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sungai Petani
Ubud, Bali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$511 MYR 2,040
$165 Rp 3.0M
209.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.16
13.28
-68.67%

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

Last update for Sungai Petani: June 1, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $379 in Sungai Petani and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sungai Petani pays 209% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $21.00 in Sungai Petani vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $302 per month, with Sungai Petani cheaper across the board.

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
Sungai Petani vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali?
Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali differ by about 68% in total monthly costs ($846 vs $1,419 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Sungai Petani or Ubud, Bali?
Sungai Petani pays 209% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali?
Rent for a central apartment: $379 in Sungai Petani versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali?
Childcare runs $241 in Sungai Petani versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $846 in Sungai Petani versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Sungai Petani or Ubud, Bali safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sungai Petani and Ubud, Bali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sungai Petani or Ubud, Bali?
Expats usually find Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Sungai Petani vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities