Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kedah Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kedah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $868 in Kedah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,344 in Kedah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,819 in Kedah.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 62% more expensive than Kedah, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Kedah is 35% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.02 MYR 12.24

18.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$21.42 MYR 86.9

51.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.28 MYR 17.34

13.55%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.95 MYR 11.95

-6.78%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.74 MYR 3.02

78.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.37 MYR 1.48

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$4.40 MYR 17.83

-33.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$4.48 MYR 18.18

-15.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.81 MYR 7.34

-5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.91 MYR 3.67

171.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.91

-0.83%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$2.11 MYR 8.58

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$15.33 MYR 62.2

-6.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$5.00 MYR 20.26

-13.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$14.66 MYR 59.5

-16.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.88 MYR 11.69

27.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.19 MYR 4.83

30.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$2.61 MYR 10.59

6.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$2.17 MYR 8.81

7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.19 MYR 4.83

65.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$1.16 MYR 4.71

99.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.97 MYR 3.92

9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.48 MYR 1.95

52.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$4.13 MYR 16.75

-20.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$19.59 MYR 79.5

16.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$2.64 MYR 10.69

6.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$3.37 MYR 13.66

-17.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.68 MYR 2.77

-57.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$11.77 MYR 47.71

-31.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.69 MYR 2.82

-34.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.47 MYR 1.92

-4.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.98 MYR 28.32

-10.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$0.49 MYR 2.00

73.47%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$33.5K MYR 135.8K

-22.41%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$27.4K MYR 110.9K

15.71%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$38.49 MYR 156

109.79%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$9.99 MYR 40.49

-59.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$11.96 MYR 48.51

104.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$36.49 MYR 148

167.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$5.85 MYR 23.74

10.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$2.81 MYR 11.40

43.77%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$238 MYR 963

27.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$6,215 MYR 25.2K

6.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$55.4 MYR 225

-2.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$28.32 MYR 115

36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$62.0 MYR 251

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$52.5 MYR 213

45.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$380 MYR 1,540

159.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$270 MYR 1,093

144.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$646 MYR 2,620

421.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$465 MYR 1,885

344.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

$1,964 MYR 7,963

39.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

$957 MYR 3,880

132.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$1,322 MYR 5,359

-87.64%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kedah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $380 in Kedah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kedah pays 709% 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 Kedah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $273 per month, with Kedah 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 Kedah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Kedah differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,404 vs $868 including rent). Kedah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kedah earns 709% 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 $380 in Kedah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $238 in Kedah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $868 in Kedah versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kedah but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kedah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kedah 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 Kedah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.