Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Labuan Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Labuan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $976 in Labuan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,496 in Labuan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,016 in Labuan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 40% more expensive than in Labuan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Labuan is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

$5.49 MYR 22.41

-37.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 644.0K

$25.04 MYR 102

45.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.2K

$6.84 MYR 27.92

-16.52%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.4K

$3.99 MYR 16.28

-33.08%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$1.07 MYR 4.37

63.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.5K

$0.42 MYR 1.69

107.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.4K

$4.11 MYR 16.77

-28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.1K

$3.77 MYR 15.37

19.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.77 MYR 7.23

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.09 MYR 4.45

113.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.43 MYR 5.84

-22.38%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.91 MYR 7.78

15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.8K

$16.99 MYR 69.3

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.7K

$4.54 MYR 18.50

-9.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 216.0K

$9.91 MYR 40.43

22.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.7K

$3.11 MYR 12.71

19.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.2K

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

$2.38 MYR 9.71

-4.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.39 MYR 5.66

40.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.8K

$1.34 MYR 5.48

42.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.22 MYR 4.97

90.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.9K

$1.14 MYR 4.66

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,788

$0.53 MYR 2.15

3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.6K

$4.65 MYR 18.98

-52.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 409.2K

$21.54 MYR 87.9

7.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.9K

$2.53 MYR 10.32

-4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.39 MYR 13.81

-11.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,821

$0.84 MYR 3.45

-67.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.3K

$13.20 MYR 53.9

-31.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,580

$1.41 MYR 5.77

-65.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,691

$0.50 MYR 2.02

-14.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

$7.83 MYR 31.96

-27.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.78 MYR 3.18

2.56%

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

$24.9K Rp 442.4M

$43.6K MYR 178.0K

-42.82%

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

$31.7K Rp 562.4M

$31.3K MYR 127.5K

1.47%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$50.1 MYR 204

62.53%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.2K

$9.61 MYR 39.18

-32.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.9K

$28.20 MYR 115

-33.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$43.96 MYR 179

29.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 332.2K

$6.76 MYR 27.58

177.07%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.5K

$4.46 MYR 18.21

1.79%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$194 MYR 790

148.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.3M

$4,758 MYR 19.4K

20.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 807.3K

$60.6 MYR 247

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 636.4K

$34.51 MYR 141

3.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$80.3 MYR 328

0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.1 MYR 294

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.8M

$452 MYR 1,845

146.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$311 MYR 1,270

124.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.5M

$701 MYR 2,858

419.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$521 MYR 2,124

233.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.4M

$1,900 MYR 7,751

46.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.6M

$1,043 MYR 4,255

119.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$375 MYR 1,531

-55.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.2

228.10%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Labuan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $452 in Labuan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Labuan pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $25.00 in Labuan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $268 per month, with Labuan 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 Labuan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Labuan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Sport & Entertainment. The 40% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Labuan. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $452 in Labuan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $194 in Labuan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $976 in Labuan versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Labuan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Labuan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Labuan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Labuan 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 Labuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.