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: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $848 in Kota Kinabalu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,331 in Kota Kinabalu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,814 in Kota Kinabalu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 66% more expensive than in Kota Kinabalu, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Kota Kinabalu is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.52 MYR 14.41

-1.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$18.53 MYR 75.8

74.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.62 MYR 18.88

4.76%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.70 MYR 11.04

1.85%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.65 MYR 2.64

112.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.39 MYR 1.60

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$2.40 MYR 9.80

24.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$3.53 MYR 14.42

9.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.76 MYR 7.19

-1.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.21 MYR 4.95

103.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.75 MYR 7.17

-33.14%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.78 MYR 11.35

-12.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$26.05 MYR 107

-44.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.61 MYR 14.77

20.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$7.06 MYR 28.87

69.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.52 MYR 10.29

47.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.16 MYR 4.76

40.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$3.20 MYR 13.07

-14.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.98 MYR 8.10

13.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.51 MYR 6.17

27.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.77 MYR 7.26

28.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$1.13 MYR 4.63

-6.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.51 MYR 2.07

41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$4.17 MYR 17.07

-21.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$15.66 MYR 64.0

48.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.92 MYR 7.84

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.62 MYR 6.62

68.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$1.56 MYR 6.36

-82.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$40.74 MYR 167

-80.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.86 MYR 7.60

-74.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.47 MYR 1.90

-10.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$5.77 MYR 23.61

7.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.46 MYR 1.89

76.09%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$29.4K MYR 120.0K

-9.33%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

18.21%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$52.5 MYR 215

49.35%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$9.29 MYR 38.00

-56.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$33.03 MYR 135

-26.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$43.88 MYR 179

124.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$2.99 MYR 12.22

112.04%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$4.56 MYR 18.63

-12.50%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$128 MYR 525

137.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$4,486 MYR 18.3K

48.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$59.4 MYR 243

-8.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$23.13 MYR 94.6

63.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$70.8 MYR 290

22.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$93.8 MYR 384

-18.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$378 MYR 1,546

162.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$168 MYR 687

300.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$650 MYR 2,658

419.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$362 MYR 1,483

465.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$1,793 MYR 7,334

56.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,086 MYR 4,440

105.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$595 MYR 2,432

-71.92%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Kota Kinabalu: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $378 in Kota Kinabalu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kota Kinabalu pays 256% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Kota Kinabalu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $270 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 66% 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 256% 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $378 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 402% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $128 in Kota Kinabalu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $848 in Kota Kinabalu versus $1,408 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 $848 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 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.