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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $843 in George Town.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,306 in George Town.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,769 in George Town.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than George Town, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, George Town is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.02 MYR 11.93

18.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$21.35 MYR 84.3

52.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.27 MYR 16.86

18.74%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$2.62 MYR 10.35

8.02%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.77 MYR 3.03

74.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.36 MYR 1.44

91.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$4.36 MYR 17.20

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$4.68 MYR 18.49

-17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.82 MYR 7.21

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.12 MYR 4.43

126.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.67 MYR 6.60

-28.74%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$2.10 MYR 8.31

15.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$17.50 MYR 69.1

-16.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$4.97 MYR 19.65

-15.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.47 MYR 41.35

14.04%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.86 MYR 11.30

29.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.40 MYR 5.53

15.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$2.25 MYR 8.90

19.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.28 MYR 5.04

82.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.87 MYR 3.44

119.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.16 MYR 4.57

88.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.70 MYR 2.76

51.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.52 MYR 2.04

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.18 MYR 16.51

-25.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$12.70 MYR 50.2

84.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.64 MYR 10.45

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$3.36 MYR 13.29

-14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.49 MYR 1.93

-40.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$11.80 MYR 46.62

-30.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$1.16 MYR 4.59

-61.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.44 MYR 1.73

-4.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.39 MYR 25.26

-3.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.49 MYR 1.94

71.43%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$34.1K MYR 134.6K

-22.96%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$25.0K MYR 98.7K

29.96%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$38.18 MYR 151

105.40%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$9.68 MYR 38.23

-59.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$28.98 MYR 114

-15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$38.37 MYR 152

151.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$3.78 MYR 14.94

67.99%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.13 MYR 16.30

-2.18%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$146 MYR 578

106.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$4,643 MYR 18.3K

40.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$52.5 MYR 207

2.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$28.61 MYR 113

32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$62.5 MYR 247

38.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$52.1 MYR 206

51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$371 MYR 1,465

172.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$253 MYR 999

166.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$709 MYR 2,799

378.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$498 MYR 1,969

320.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$1,112 MYR 4,393

-84.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.16

219.23%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for George Town: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $371 in George Town. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

George Town pays 542% 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 $21.00 in George Town for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $251 per month, with George Town 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 George Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

George Town is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, George Town earns 542% 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 $371 in George Town. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in George Town runs roughly 44% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $146 in George Town. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $843 in George Town versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in George Town but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes George Town the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 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 George Town gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.