Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Cheras

For one person, living is cheaper in Cheras: $1,144 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Cheras
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Cheras Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Cheras

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Cheras

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 Cheras actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,144 in Cheras, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Cheras $1,144

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,559 in Cheras, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Cheras $1,559

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,975 in Cheras, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Cheras $1,975

Ubud, Bali costs about 18% more than Cheras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Cheras is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$3.56 MYR 14.53

-9.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$24.25 MYR 98.9

43.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$4.94 MYR 20.15

15.38%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$3.08 MYR 12.58

-14.94%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.88 MYR 3.57

95.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.60 MYR 2.43

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$4.35 MYR 17.76

-39.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$6.19 MYR 25.26

-29.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.86 MYR 7.57

-15.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.03 MYR 4.20

112.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.42 MYR 5.79

-16.90%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.82 MYR 7.43

18.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$18.08 MYR 73.8

-2.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.55 MYR 18.56

-16.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.85 MYR 44.28

10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$3.40 MYR 13.86

5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-14.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.63 MYR 10.73

-12.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.67 MYR 6.83

14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$2.07 MYR 8.44

-14.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.66 MYR 6.77

40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.38 MYR 5.63

-27.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.51 MYR 2.08

3.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.30 MYR 17.52

-46.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$14.06 MYR 57.4

56.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$2.62 MYR 10.68

-10.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$3.03 MYR 12.37

-1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.74 MYR 3.03

-68.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$12.49 MYR 51.0

-28.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.02 MYR 4.15

-53.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.39 MYR 1.58

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$9.05 MYR 36.91

-39.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.82 MYR 3.34

1.22%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$45.0K MYR 183.5K

-46.92%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$35.0K MYR 142.6K

-6.22%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$49.05 MYR 200

63.08%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$11.08 MYR 45.20

-40.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$27.10 MYR 111

-31.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$51.8 MYR 211

4.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$6.98 MYR 28.46

161.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$4.83 MYR 19.71

-12.01%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$162 MYR 661

204.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$4,455 MYR 18.2K

25.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$53.8 MYR 219

-15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$29.95 MYR 122

16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$82.6 MYR 337

-5.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$96.7 MYR 395

-18.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$384 MYR 1,566

194.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$471 MYR 1,921

42.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$685 MYR 2,794

427.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$487 MYR 1,985

249.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$2,040 MYR 8,322

33.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,107 MYR 4,515

102.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$1,153 MYR 4,704

-85.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.06

239.41%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cheras: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Cheras

$471 41.2% 30% $202

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Cheras

$267 23.3% 7.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Cheras

$118 10.4% 11.1% $12

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Cheras

$120 10.5% 13.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Cheras

$87 7.6% 17.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Cheras

$61 5.4% 1.9% $1.2

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Cheras

$18 1.6% 48.2% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $384 in Cheras. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 593% higher in Cheras, 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $24.00 in Cheras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $267 – making Cheras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Cheras

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

440,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Cheras 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Cheras

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 Cheras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,715 in Cheras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cheras, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $24.00 in Cheras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cheras, where all-in costs run around $1,144, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Cheras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cheras – 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.

If budget matters most, go with Cheras. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.