Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Batu Kawan

For one person, living is cheaper in Batu Kawan: $963 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Batu Kawan
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Batu Kawan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Batu Kawan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Batu Kawan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Batu Kawan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $963 in Batu Kawan.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Batu Kawan $963

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,506 in Batu Kawan.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Batu Kawan $1,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,050 in Batu Kawan.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Batu Kawan $2,050

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than in Batu Kawan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$4.80 MYR 19.55

-30.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.7K

$29.52 MYR 120

20.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$4.96 MYR 20.18

11.49%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$3.02 MYR 12.29

-9.93%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.79 MYR 3.21

115.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.42 MYR 1.72

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$4.45 MYR 18.13

-40.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$6.14 MYR 24.97

-28.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.45 MYR 5.89

2.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.11 MYR 4.52

105.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.71 MYR 2.90

67.61%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$2.12 MYR 8.62

-3.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.2K

$13.88 MYR 56.5

27.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$4.46 MYR 18.17

-11.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.2K

$10.00 MYR 40.72

21.90%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$3.33 MYR 13.55

9.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.22 MYR 9.03

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.50 MYR 6.11

31.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.94

52.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.38 MYR 5.62

75.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.17 MYR 4.75

-15.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,316

$0.66 MYR 2.68

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$4.48 MYR 18.23

-50.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.6K

$19.69 MYR 80.2

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$3.37 MYR 13.73

-32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$5.05 MYR 20.55

-41.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,555

$0.76 MYR 3.08

-67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.0K

$12.18 MYR 49.56

-35.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,975

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-41.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,804

$1.20 MYR 4.90

-64.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$4.96 MYR 20.20

9.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.81 MYR 3.29

1.23%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.6M

$31.9K MYR 129.7K

-25.18%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.1M

$34.1K MYR 138.9K

-6.96%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$63.1 MYR 257

25.33%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.0K

$8.70 MYR 35.42

-25.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.1K

$24.35 MYR 99.1

-23.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.9K

$32.29 MYR 131

53.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.2K

$7.09 MYR 28.85

148.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$3.68 MYR 15.00

16.03%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$237 MYR 966

106.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$13.0K MYR 52.7K

-56.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.0K

$71.8 MYR 292

-37.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.2K

$42.73 MYR 174

-18.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.5 MYR 344

-5.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$85.9 MYR 350

-7.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$412 MYR 1,678

172.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$289 MYR 1,175

132.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$704 MYR 2,867

406.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$555 MYR 2,261

210.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$1,973 MYR 8,032

38.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

$1,208 MYR 4,916

89.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,870 MYR 7,611

-91.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

244.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Batu Kawan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Batu Kawan

$289 30% 57% $383

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Batu Kawan

$260 27% 9.9% $29

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Batu Kawan

$129 13.4% 19.7% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Batu Kawan

$128 13.3% 19.3% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Batu Kawan

$96 10% 7.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Batu Kawan

$40 4.1% 31.7% $18

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Batu Kawan

$22 2.3% 92.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $412 in Batu Kawan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Batu Kawan pays about 11 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $30 in Batu Kawan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $260 per month, with Batu Kawan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Batu Kawan

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

11,409

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,337 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Batu Kawan 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Batu Kawan

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

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

Batu Kawan is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $412 in Batu Kawan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $963 in Batu Kawan – Batu Kawan is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 36% less than in Batu Kawan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Batu Kawan are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.