Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kota Kinabalu Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kota Kinabalu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $921 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,439 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,956 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 49% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Kota Kinabalu is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$3.65 MYR 14.89

-5.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$19.55 MYR 79.8

85.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.78 MYR 19.51

19.46%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.61 MYR 10.64

2.30%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.60 MYR 2.43

191.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.32 MYR 1.32

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$2.52 MYR 10.27

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$3.71 MYR 15.16

21.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.75 MYR 7.12

-7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.34 MYR 5.47

73.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$2.36 MYR 9.65

-52.97%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$3.46 MYR 14.13

-36.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$27.98 MYR 114

-36.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$3.74 MYR 15.28

9.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$6.59 MYR 26.92

84.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.18 MYR 8.89

70.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.42 MYR 5.81

11.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$1.94 MYR 7.90

17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.94 MYR 7.94

0.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.76 MYR 7.17

8.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$2.15 MYR 8.76

8.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.01 MYR 4.14

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.48 MYR 1.97

14.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.57 MYR 18.64

-51.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$16.05 MYR 65.5

43.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$3.76 MYR 15.36

-35.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.50 MYR 10.22

20.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$1.94 MYR 7.92

-86.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$42.86 MYR 175

-79.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.92 MYR 7.84

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.24 MYR 0.97

79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.70 MYR 2.86

14.29%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$42.5K MYR 173.5K

-41.31%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$36.2K MYR 147.8K

-12.42%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$69.0 MYR 282

18.11%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$9.64 MYR 39.35

-32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$29.06 MYR 119

-35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$51.2 MYR 209

11.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$3.05 MYR 12.47

514.10%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$5.31 MYR 21.66

-14.50%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$139 MYR 569

244.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$7,051 MYR 28.8K

-19.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$82.7 MYR 338

-44.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$36.80 MYR 150

-2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$91.3 MYR 373

-11.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$49.30 MYR 201

59.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$428 MYR 1,747

160.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$194 MYR 792

259.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$682 MYR 2,785

433.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$370 MYR 1,512

369.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$1,855 MYR 7,573

50.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,095 MYR 4,469

109.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$593 MYR 2,421

-71.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.9

253.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $428 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 253% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $20.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $289 per month, with Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kota Kinabalu wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Kinabalu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 253% lower in Kota Kinabalu. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $428 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Kinabalu runs roughly 377% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $139 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $921 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Kinabalu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Kinabalu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kota Kinabalu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $921 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kota Kinabalu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kota Kinabalu 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 Kota Kinabalu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.