Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $897 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
44

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$897

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $897 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Kuala Lipis $897

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,420 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Kuala Lipis $1,420

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,944 in Kuala Lipis, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Kuala Lipis $1,944

Ubud, Bali costs about 50% more than Kuala Lipis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$3.59 MYR 14.62

-7.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

$24.70 MYR 101

44.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$4.98 MYR 20.31

11.04%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$2.99 MYR 12.20

-9.03%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.85 MYR 3.48

100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.42 MYR 1.70

80.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$3.21 MYR 13.06

-17.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$5.63 MYR 22.94

-22.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$1.95 MYR 7.96

-23.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$1.08 MYR 4.38

111.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.47 MYR 6.00

-19.05%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$1.78 MYR 7.24

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

$9.81 MYR 39.99

80.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$3.17 MYR 12.92

24.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$9.58 MYR 39.01

27.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$3.59 MYR 14.64

1.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.85 MYR 7.54

-17.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.75 MYR 11.22

-18.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$1.83 MYR 7.46

7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$2.16 MYR 8.80

-14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$2.05 MYR 8.36

18.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.49 MYR 6.06

-33.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$0.52 MYR 2.11

-1.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$4.46 MYR 18.17

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

$19.69 MYR 80.2

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$2.71 MYR 11.04

-16.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$4.44 MYR 18.08

-33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

$0.66 MYR 2.67

-62.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

$13.50 MYR 55.0

-42.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-63.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

$0.36 MYR 1.46

19.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

$8.79 MYR 35.81

-38.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.81 MYR 3.29

1.23%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

$44.9K MYR 183.1K

-46.95%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

$34.8K MYR 142.0K

-8.89%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$49.77 MYR 203

58.85%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$8.30 MYR 33.81

-22.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$27.35 MYR 111

-32.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

$40.93 MYR 167

20.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

$7.48 MYR 30.46

135.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$4.88 MYR 19.88

-12.50%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$276 MYR 1,125

77.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

$10.3K MYR 42.0K

-44.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$51.6 MYR 210

-13.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$29.76 MYR 121

17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$77.7 MYR 317

2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$86.8 MYR 354

-8.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$385 MYR 1,571

191.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$268 MYR 1,092

150.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$693 MYR 2,824

414.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$558 MYR 2,272

208.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$2,178 MYR 8,872

25.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$1,305 MYR 5,315

75.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.51

205.54%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lipis: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Kuala Lipis

$268 29.9% 60.1% $404

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Kuala Lipis

$251 28% 13% $37

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Kuala Lipis

$112 12.5% 4% $4.3

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Kuala Lipis

$111 12.3% 2.9% $3.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9.5% 17.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Kuala Lipis

$51 5.7% 12.6% $7.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Kuala Lipis

$19 2.1% 67.5% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $385 in Kuala Lipis. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $25 in Kuala Lipis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $251 – making Kuala Lipis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

20,000

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Kuala Lipis 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,345 in Kuala Lipis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lipis, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $897 in Kuala Lipis. That makes Kuala Lipis about 34% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 42% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kuala Lipis, where all-in costs run around $897, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Kuala Lipis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lipis – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.