Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Kuantan

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $839 in Kuantan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Kuantan $839

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,219 in Kuantan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Kuantan $1,219

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,599 in Kuantan, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Kuantan $1,599

Ubud, Bali costs about 63% more than Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Kuantan is 38% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$2.49 MYR 10.18

33.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$12.00 MYR 48.96

193.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$3.63 MYR 14.83

59.78%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.88 MYR 11.73

-5.21%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.71 MYR 2.89

130.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.45 MYR 1.82

84.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$2.80 MYR 11.43

-3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$5.73 MYR 23.37

-24.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$0.82 MYR 3.35

180.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.47 MYR 5.98

-19.73%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$1.31 MYR 5.34

63.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$9.51 MYR 38.79

83.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$3.28 MYR 13.36

22.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$4.42 MYR 18.04

176.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$3.03 MYR 12.35

17.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-18.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.73 MYR 11.12

-17.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.75 MYR 7.14

10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$1.72 MYR 7.03

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.94 MYR 7.93

18.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$0.76 MYR 3.12

30.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.56 MYR 2.28

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$4.38 MYR 17.85

-47.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$19.95 MYR 81.4

15.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$1.99 MYR 8.13

17.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$1.92 MYR 7.81

51.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$0.51 MYR 2.07

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$12.15 MYR 49.55

-27.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$1.13 MYR 4.61

-57.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.35 MYR 1.45

31.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$9.05 MYR 36.92

-39.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.52 MYR 2.13

69.23%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

-27.96%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-5.72%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$49.82 MYR 203

66.62%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$8.06 MYR 32.86

-19.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$24.16 MYR 98.6

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$39.79 MYR 162

40.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$6.83 MYR 27.87

165.15%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-5.81%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$280 MYR 1,142

76.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

-43.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$52.4 MYR 214

-11.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$30.29 MYR 124

16.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$49.62 MYR 202

59.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$48.89 MYR 199

60.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$411 MYR 1,675

178.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$302 MYR 1,232

123.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$692 MYR 2,822

406.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$476 MYR 1,943

256.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$2,015 MYR 8,220

38.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,090 MYR 4,448

105.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$975 MYR 3,976

-83.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.15

232.05%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Kuantan

$302 36% 55.3% $374

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 26.9% $78

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 12.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 24.1% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 24.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 24% $15

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Kuantan

$17 2% 36% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $411 in Kuantan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 492% higher in Kuantan, 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $12.00 in Kuantan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $212 – making Kuantan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

548,014

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Kuantan 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 63%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,259 in Kuantan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kuantan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Kuantan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Ubud, Bali, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kuantan, where all-in costs run around $839, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Kuantan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Kuantan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.