Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kota Damansara

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Damansara: $942 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Kota Damansara, Malaysia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Kota Damansara
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$942
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Kota Damansara

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $942 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Kota Damansara $942

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,415 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Kota Damansara $1,415

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,887 in Kota Damansara, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Kota Damansara $1,887

Ubud, Bali costs about 43% more than Kota Damansara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$5.00 MYR 20.36
-33.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.7K
$19.36 MYR 78.8
84.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$5.02 MYR 20.43
10.16%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.90 MYR 11.79
-6.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.82 MYR 3.35
107.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.48 MYR 1.95
58.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$4.46 MYR 18.16
-40.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$6.08 MYR 24.74
-27.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.66 MYR 6.78
-10.24%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$1.09 MYR 4.45
109.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.50 MYR 6.12
-20.67%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.78 MYR 7.25
14.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.2K
$13.91 MYR 56.6
27.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$4.52 MYR 18.42
-12.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.2K
$9.78 MYR 39.80
24.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$3.30 MYR 13.43
10.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.75 MYR 7.10
-13.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$2.25 MYR 9.15
-0.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.52 MYR 6.20
29.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$1.24 MYR 5.04
49.19%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.32 MYR 5.37
83.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.17 MYR 4.75
-15.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,316
$0.55 MYR 2.25
-7.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.17 MYR 16.97
-46.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.6K
$14.65 MYR 59.6
51.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$3.25 MYR 13.21
-30.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$4.38 MYR 17.83
-32.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,555
$0.69 MYR 2.81
-63.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.0K
$11.20 MYR 45.58
-30.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,975
$0.99 MYR 4.03
-55.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,804
$0.76 MYR 3.10
-43.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
$4.82 MYR 19.61
12.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.89 MYR 3.63
-7.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.6M
$44.1K MYR 179.6K
-45.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 576.1M
$35.6K MYR 144.9K
-10.79%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$51.8 MYR 211
52.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
$8.85 MYR 36.03
-27.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.1K
$26.39 MYR 107
-29.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.9K
$35.61 MYR 145
38.95%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.2K
$6.98 MYR 28.40
152.87%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
$5.02 MYR 20.42
-14.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$238 MYR 969
106.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
$4,537 MYR 18.5K
25.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 810.0K
$53.7 MYR 219
-16.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.2K
$16.57 MYR 67.4
110.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$80.3 MYR 327
-0.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$96.2 MYR 391
-17.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$436 MYR 1,776
157.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$300 MYR 1,222
123.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$693 MYR 2,822
414.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$500 MYR 2,036
244.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$1,968 MYR 8,009
38.84%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$1,177 MYR 4,789
94.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Kota Damansara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$853 MYR 3,474
-80.80%
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 25, 2026

Last update for Kota Damansara: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Kota Damansara
$300 55.3% $371
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Kota Damansara
$250 13.4% $39
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Kota Damansara
$130 20.3% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Kota Damansara
$111 3.3% $3.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Kota Damansara
$87 16.4% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Kota Damansara
$46 21.3% $12
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Kota Damansara
$19 64.3% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $436 in Kota Damansara. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kota Damansara are about 5.2 times higher, 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 $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $19 in Kota Damansara. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $250 – making Kota Damansara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇾 Kota Damansara
🕒 Local time
08:42 8:42 AM
08:42 8:42 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
500,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,337 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Kota Damansara 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Kota Damansara

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 Kota Damansara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Kota Damansara?
Ubud, Bali costs about 43% more than Kota Damansara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Kota Damansara?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,413 in Kota Damansara. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Kota Damansara?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kota Damansara, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $436 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How expensive is transport in Ubud, Bali compared to Kota Damansara?
Public transport costs about 30% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Kota Damansara?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $238 in Kota Damansara. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Kota Damansara?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $942 in Kota Damansara. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Kota Damansara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Kota Damansara?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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