Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kuala Lumpur

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lumpur: $1,074 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lumpur
Learn more

Kuala Lumpur Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Kuala Lumpur

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,074

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Kuala Lumpur $1,074

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,622 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Kuala Lumpur $1,622

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,170 in Kuala Lumpur, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Kuala Lumpur $2,170

Ubud, Bali costs about 26% more than Kuala Lumpur, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

$4.98 MYR 20.28

-33.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

$29.03 MYR 118

22.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

$4.85 MYR 19.78

14.02%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

$3.02 MYR 12.30

-9.93%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.79 MYR 3.21

115.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.45 MYR 1.85

68.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

$4.48 MYR 18.24

-40.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

$6.16 MYR 25.11

-28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

$2.11 MYR 8.60

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

$1.12 MYR 4.56

103.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-38.34%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

$2.46 MYR 10.01

-17.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

$14.24 MYR 58.0

24.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

$4.37 MYR 17.80

-9.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

$9.86 MYR 40.19

23.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

$3.46 MYR 14.09

5.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

$1.78 MYR 7.25

-14.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

$2.27 MYR 9.24

-1.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

$1.51 MYR 6.16

30.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

$1.23 MYR 5.01

50.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

$1.30 MYR 5.31

86.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$1.14 MYR 4.64

-13.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,332

$0.71 MYR 2.88

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

$4.29 MYR 17.46

-48.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

$19.77 MYR 80.5

12.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

$3.36 MYR 13.71

-32.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

$5.02 MYR 20.45

-40.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,562

$0.70 MYR 2.86

-64.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

$12.44 MYR 50.7

-37.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,989

$1.20 MYR 4.87

-63.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,817

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-65.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

$4.98 MYR 20.30

8.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.89 MYR 3.62

-7.87%

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

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

$44.5K MYR 181.5K

-46.48%

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

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

$34.6K MYR 141.1K

-8.29%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$63.5 MYR 259

24.58%

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

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

$8.62 MYR 35.13

-25.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

$26.24 MYR 107

-29.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

$49.20 MYR 200

0.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

$7.32 MYR 29.84

141.12%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

$4.97 MYR 20.27

-14.08%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$472 MYR 1,921

4.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

$13.2K MYR 53.8K

-56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

$72.2 MYR 294

-38.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

$41.48 MYR 169

-15.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

$83.9 MYR 342

-4.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$94.3 MYR 384

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$685 MYR 2,792

64.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$358 MYR 1,459

87.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

$1,212 MYR 4,938

194.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$593 MYR 2,417

190.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

$3,760 MYR 15.3K

-27.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

$1,565 MYR 6,375

45.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$1,458 MYR 5,939

-88.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.17

230.46%

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 Lumpur: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Kuala Lumpur

$358 33.3% 46.7% $314

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Kuala Lumpur

$274 25.5% 4.9% $14

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Kuala Lumpur

$130 12.1% 21% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Kuala Lumpur

$131 12.2% 22.1% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Kuala Lumpur

$98 9.2% 5.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Kuala Lumpur

$59 5.5% 1.9% $1.1

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Kuala Lumpur

$23 2.1% 98.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $685 in Kuala Lumpur. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Kuala Lumpur are about 8.9 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 $29 in Kuala Lumpur. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $274 – making Kuala Lumpur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Kuala Lumpur

🕒 Local time

07:49 7:49 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

1,982,112 Capital

💱 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 28, 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 28, 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 Lumpur 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Kuala Lumpur

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 Lumpur: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,611 in Kuala Lumpur. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuala Lumpur, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $685 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $29 in Kuala Lumpur. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $1,074 in Kuala Lumpur, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Kuala Lumpur – 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.