Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bintulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Bintulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $781 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,224 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,667 in Bintulu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 84% more expensive than Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Bintulu is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.71 MYR 14.66

-3.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$17.73 MYR 70.0

83.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$5.67 MYR 22.40

-10.58%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.80 MYR 11.07

1.07%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.62 MYR 2.44

116.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.39 MYR 1.55

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$2.80 MYR 11.05

6.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$4.89 MYR 19.33

-21.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.74 MYR 6.88

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.38 MYR 5.45

84.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.32 MYR 5.21

-9.85%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.11 MYR 8.34

15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$16.62 MYR 65.7

-11.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$3.33 MYR 13.17

25.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$5.77 MYR 22.79

106.93%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$1.61 MYR 6.36

129.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.90 MYR 3.57

78.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.63 MYR 6.44

65.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.11 MYR 4.38

109.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.49 MYR 1.95

289.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.20 MYR 4.76

82.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.73 MYR 2.88

45.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.42 MYR 1.66

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.08 MYR 16.12

-23.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$19.12 MYR 75.5

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.79 MYR 11.01

-1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.91 MYR 7.53

50.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$1.21 MYR 4.79

-76.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$15.86 MYR 62.6

-48.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.92 MYR 3.63

-51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.88 MYR 3.46

-52.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$2.39 MYR 9.46

157.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.51 MYR 2.03

64.71%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$42.8K MYR 168.9K

-38.63%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$38.2K MYR 151.0K

-15.02%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$57.9 MYR 229

35.53%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$9.27 MYR 36.61

-57.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$29.53 MYR 117

-17.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$65.7 MYR 259

46.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$6.00 MYR 23.71

5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.26 MYR 16.84

-5.16%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$122 MYR 483

147.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$7,059 MYR 27.9K

-7.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$63.3 MYR 250

-15.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$33.69 MYR 133

12.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$76.8 MYR 303

13.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$89.5 MYR 353

-11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$213 MYR 843

374.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$151 MYR 597

345.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$467 MYR 1,845

625.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$316 MYR 1,248

563.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$1,831 MYR 7,234

62.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,198 MYR 4,732

95.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$639 MYR 2,525

-72.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.5

195.11%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $213 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 269% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $18.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $222 per month, with Bintulu 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

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

Bintulu wins on cost – living expenses run 84% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bintulu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bintulu earns 269% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $213 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,438 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $781 in Bintulu – a 84% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 94% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $781 in Bintulu versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bintulu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bintulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bintulu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $781 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bintulu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Bintulu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bintulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.