Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tawau and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Tawau: $932 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
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Tawau Living Index
65

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

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Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $932 per month in Tawau vs $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Tawau $932
Ubud, Bali $1,349

A couple spends around $1,391 per month in Tawau vs $2,305 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Tawau $1,391
Ubud, Bali $2,305

A family of three spends $1,851 per month in Tawau vs $3,261 in Ubud, Bali, rent included.

Tawau $1,851
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Tawau is about 31% cheaper than Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.24 MYR 13.22

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.61 MYR 79.9

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

-44.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.20 MYR 17.13

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

-24.05%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MYR 12.46

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

12.50%

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

$0.94 MYR 3.81

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-44.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 MYR 1.45

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 MYR 11.04

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 MYR 18.68

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

4.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MYR 7.28

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

20.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 MYR 4.20

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

-54.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.82

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

20.17%

Eggs

$2.24 MYR 9.15

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

9.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 MYR 47.71

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

-33.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 MYR 17.86

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.45 MYR 38.50

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

-22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MYR 12.63

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

-15.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 MYR 6.25

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 MYR 10.36

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

13.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.53

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

-30.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-23.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 MYR 5.93

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

-39.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MYR 2.10

$0.51 Rp 9,332

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MYR 18.09

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.05 MYR 77.6

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

-14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 MYR 12.33

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 MYR 18.73

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

54.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.83

$0.25 Rp 4,562

176.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.10 MYR 45.21

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

41.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$0.44 Rp 7,989

172.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.54 MYR 2.19

$0.43 Rp 7,817

25.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.62 MYR 31.05

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

40.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 MYR 3.17

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

-4.88%

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

$51.4K MYR 209.3K

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

115.50%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.0K

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

9.79%

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

$50.5 MYR 206

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-36.11%

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

$10.55 MYR 42.97

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

63.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 MYR 114

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

51.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.09 MYR 176

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

-12.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.77 MYR 27.60

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

-61.64%

Cinema Ticket

$3.71 MYR 15.12

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

-13.11%

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

$240 MYR 979

$491 Rp 8.9M

-51.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,864 MYR 32.0K

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

38.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MYR 227

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

24.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 MYR 146

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

2.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 MYR 307

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

-5.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.2 MYR 278

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

-14.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$460 MYR 1,875

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-59.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$315 MYR 1,284

$671 Rp 12.2M

-53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$780 MYR 3,178

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

-78.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 MYR 2,115

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-69.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,240 MYR 9,125

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

-18.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,307 MYR 5,325

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

-42.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$424 MYR 1,727

$164 Rp 3.0M

158.73%

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 Tawau: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tawau

$315 33.8%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 113% $356

Groceries & Markets

Tawau

$250 26.9%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 15.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Tawau

$106 11.4%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 1.6% $1.7

Eating Out

Tawau

$103 11.1%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 4.4% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tawau

$89 9.6%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 16.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Tawau

$51 5.4%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 14.9% $7.5

Getting Around

Tawau

$18 1.9%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 35.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $460 in Tawau 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.

Salaries in Tawau are about 2.6 times higher, 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 $20 in Tawau versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $250 vs $288 – making Tawau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Tawau

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

02:42 2:42 AM

Same time as Tawau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

420,806

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 = 5.5 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tawau Ubud, Bali 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Tawau
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

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

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Tawau, 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 $1,398 per month in Tawau 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 Tawau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $460 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 15% 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 $20 in Tawau 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 $932 in Tawau 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 Tawau – 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.