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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $802 in Bintulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,238 in Bintulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,674 in Bintulu.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Bintulu is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.83 MYR 15.52

-6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$17.48 MYR 70.9

85.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$5.73 MYR 23.24

-15.18%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.78 MYR 11.27

-1.08%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.67 MYR 2.71

97.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.37 MYR 1.50

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$2.79 MYR 11.33

4.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$4.84 MYR 19.65

-21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.72 MYR 6.97

-0.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.32 MYR 5.35

87.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.31 MYR 5.30

-8.40%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.18 MYR 8.84

11.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$16.62 MYR 67.4

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.52 MYR 14.26

22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$5.80 MYR 23.52

110.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.63 MYR 6.60

125.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.92 MYR 3.74

68.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.63 MYR 6.60

71.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.07 MYR 4.32

117.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.53 MYR 2.13

271.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.15 MYR 4.65

100.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.67 MYR 2.73

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.43 MYR 1.73

69.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.90 MYR 15.83

-15.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$19.51 MYR 79.1

16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.81 MYR 11.40

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.86 MYR 7.53

49.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$1.20 MYR 4.86

-75.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$15.64 MYR 63.4

-48.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.91 MYR 3.69

-50.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.88 MYR 3.55

-48.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$2.33 MYR 9.43

167.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.51 MYR 2.05

66.67%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$42.4K MYR 171.9K

-38.72%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$38.0K MYR 154.1K

-16.70%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$59.1 MYR 240

36.61%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$8.97 MYR 36.37

-54.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$29.31 MYR 119

-16.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$66.4 MYR 269

47.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$5.88 MYR 23.83

9.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.14 MYR 16.79

-2.42%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$121 MYR 491

151.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$7,172 MYR 29.1K

-7.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$62.3 MYR 253

-13.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$34.27 MYR 139

13.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$75.5 MYR 306

14.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$87.8 MYR 356

-12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$212 MYR 859

365.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$151 MYR 611

336.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$461 MYR 1,870

630.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$318 MYR 1,291

548.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,756 MYR 7,122

56.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$1,159 MYR 4,701

92.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$611 MYR 2,478

-73.25%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Bintulu: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $212 in Bintulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bintulu pays 274% 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 $17.00 in Bintulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $223 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, Bintulu earns 274% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $212 in Bintulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $802 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 94% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $802 in Bintulu versus $1,404 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 $802 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.