Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and George Town, Malaysia

For one person, living is cheaper in George Town: $952 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in George Town
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George Town Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

George Town

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in George Town

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $952 in George Town.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
George Town $952

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,558 in George Town.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
George Town $1,558

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,164 in George Town.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
George Town $2,164

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 42% more expensive than in George Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$3.46 MYR 14.06

-4.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.7K

$15.45 MYR 62.9

130.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$4.68 MYR 19.05

18.16%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-1.09%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.70 MYR 2.86

142.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.35 MYR 1.43

117.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$2.47 MYR 10.07

7.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$4.42 MYR 18.01

-0.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.87 MYR 7.61

-20.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.05 MYR 4.27

117.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.73 MYR 7.04

-31.21%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$2.22 MYR 9.03

-8.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.2K

$13.65 MYR 55.6

29.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$4.48 MYR 18.22

-11.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.2K

$8.70 MYR 35.40

40.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$2.34 MYR 9.51

56.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.46 MYR 5.93

4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$2.22 MYR 9.04

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.20 MYR 4.89

64.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$0.92 MYR 3.73

101.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$0.85 MYR 3.47

184.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.74 MYR 3.03

33.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,316

$0.59 MYR 2.39

-13.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$4.58 MYR 18.62

-51.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.6K

$18.84 MYR 76.7

18.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$2.41 MYR 9.81

-6.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$3.56 MYR 14.51

-16.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,555

$0.47 MYR 1.93

-46.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.0K

$12.01 MYR 48.90

-34.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,975

$1.23 MYR 5.01

-64.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,804

$0.51 MYR 2.06

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.2K

$6.53 MYR 26.60

-17.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.82 MYR 3.35

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

$23.8K Rp 432.6M

$45.5K MYR 185.4K

-47.66%

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

$31.7K Rp 576.1M

$34.6K MYR 141.0K

-8.32%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$36.85 MYR 150

114.55%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.0K

$8.05 MYR 32.76

-19.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.1K

$28.38 MYR 116

-34.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.9K

$40.35 MYR 164

22.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.2K

$5.03 MYR 20.47

250.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.6K

$4.52 MYR 18.38

-5.53%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$168 MYR 686

191.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.0M

$4,958 MYR 20.2K

14.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 810.0K

$53.2 MYR 216

-16.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.2K

$34.86 MYR 142

0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$73.5 MYR 299

8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$70.8 MYR 288

12.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$709 MYR 2,885

58.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$366 MYR 1,491

83.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$1,104 MYR 4,493

222.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$904 MYR 3,681

90.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,057 MYR 4,302

-84.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.04

241.09%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for George Town: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

George Town

$366 38.5% 45.4% $305

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

George Town

$241 25.3% 16.4% $47

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

George Town

$100 10.5% 7% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

George Town

$105 11% 2.7% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

George Town

$73 7.7% 29.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

George Town

$49 5.2% 14.9% $8.6

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

George Town

$18 1.9% 54.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $709 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays about 6.5 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 $15 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $241 per month, with George Town cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 George Town

🕒 Local time

22:07 10:07 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

794,313

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.246 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 = 20,249 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali George Town 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
George Town

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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 84% 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 $709 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 35% less than in George Town. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $491 in Ubud, Bali versus $168 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

For families, George Town is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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