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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $796 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,228 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,661 in Bintulu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 75% more expensive than in Bintulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bintulu is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$3.83 MYR 15.63

-6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$17.41 MYR 71.1

85.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$5.52 MYR 22.53

-9.24%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$2.79 MYR 11.38

1.08%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.66 MYR 2.71

104.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.39 MYR 1.60

87.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$2.84 MYR 11.61

3.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$5.03 MYR 20.53

-21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.72 MYR 7.03

3.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$1.37 MYR 5.58

78.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$1.27 MYR 5.18

-9.45%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$2.10 MYR 8.58

14.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$16.76 MYR 68.4

-14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$3.47 MYR 14.18

20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

$5.63 MYR 22.97

114.21%

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$1.62 MYR 6.62

124.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.92 MYR 3.74

70.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.60 MYR 6.54

74.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$1.07 MYR 4.35

109.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.53 MYR 2.16

273.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$1.19 MYR 4.87

91.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.68 MYR 2.79

54.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.43 MYR 1.76

83.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$4.03 MYR 16.46

-20.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$19.73 MYR 80.6

19.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$2.87 MYR 11.72

1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$1.93 MYR 7.87

43.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$1.20 MYR 4.92

-77.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$15.40 MYR 62.9

-45.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.98 MYR 4.00

-54.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.93 MYR 3.80

-50.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$2.32 MYR 9.46

161.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$0.55 MYR 2.25

56.36%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$42.9K MYR 175.0K

-37.96%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$37.0K MYR 151.2K

-12.09%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$57.3 MYR 234

37.88%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$9.36 MYR 38.21

-56.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$29.91 MYR 122

-20.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$65.2 MYR 266

51.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$5.96 MYR 24.33

6.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.19 MYR 17.10

-4.30%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$121 MYR 493

146.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$7,017 MYR 28.7K

-5.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$61.6 MYR 251

-13.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$33.91 MYR 138

12.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$76.4 MYR 312

16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$88.7 MYR 362

-13.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$214 MYR 875

376.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$152 MYR 622

346.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$461 MYR 1,881

652.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$315 MYR 1,287

562.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

$1,704 MYR 6,956

60.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

$1,154 MYR 4,711

98.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$601 MYR 2,455

-72.78%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $214 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 267% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $224 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 75% 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, salaries run 267% lower in Bintulu. 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: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $214 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,392 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $796 in Bintulu – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bintulu runs roughly 84% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $796 in Bintulu versus $1,392 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 $796 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 75% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.