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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $840 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,352 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,865 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 69% more expensive than Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kota Kinabalu is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$3.50 MYR 13.98

1.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$19.05 MYR 76.0

71.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.67 MYR 18.65

6.00%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.60 MYR 10.38

4.23%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.69 MYR 2.74

94.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.37 MYR 1.47

89.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$2.38 MYR 9.51

22.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$3.51 MYR 14.00

12.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.68 MYR 6.70

7.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.24 MYR 4.94

103.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.70 MYR 6.77

-31.76%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.89 MYR 11.55

-14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$25.74 MYR 103

-42.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$3.44 MYR 13.73

25.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$7.43 MYR 29.63

63.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.56 MYR 10.22

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.16 MYR 4.65

34.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$3.14 MYR 12.54

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.91 MYR 7.63

21.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.52 MYR 6.06

25.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.71 MYR 6.83

28.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$1.13 MYR 4.52

-10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.47 MYR 1.89

65.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$4.23 MYR 16.89

-21.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$16.30 MYR 65.0

45.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$1.85 MYR 7.40

50.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.61 MYR 6.41

77.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$1.51 MYR 6.04

-82.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$41.03 MYR 164

-80.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.90 MYR 7.59

-75.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.46 MYR 1.85

-2.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$5.75 MYR 22.95

6.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.46 MYR 1.83

71.74%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$29.6K MYR 118.0K

-11.55%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$27.1K MYR 108.3K

18.32%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$51.6 MYR 206

54.80%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$9.22 MYR 36.78

-55.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$32.25 MYR 129

-27.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$43.54 MYR 174

126.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$2.99 MYR 11.95

121.74%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$4.73 MYR 18.88

-12.26%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$132 MYR 526

130.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$4,506 MYR 18.0K

46.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$60.6 MYR 242

-8.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$22.99 MYR 91.7

66.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$71.4 MYR 285

24.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$94.5 MYR 377

-17.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$372 MYR 1,482

170.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$168 MYR 671

301.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$641 MYR 2,556

437.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$368 MYR 1,470

453.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,889 MYR 7,539

50.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$1,133 MYR 4,521

99.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$598 MYR 2,385

-72.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.8

249.47%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $372 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 262% 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 $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $269 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 69% 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, Kota Kinabalu earns 262% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $372 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 411% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $132 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $840 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,419 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 $840 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 69% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.