Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Lilongwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Lilongwe: $641 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Lilongwe
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Lilongwe Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Lilongwe

🇲🇼 Malawi

$641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $641 in Lilongwe.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Lilongwe $641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,277 in Lilongwe.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Lilongwe $1,277

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,913 in Lilongwe.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Lilongwe $1,913

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 111% more expensive than in Lilongwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Lilongwe is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$4.98 MWK 8,555

-35.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$34.36 MWK 59.0K

1.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$10.11 MWK 17.4K

-43.62%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$3.29 MWK 5,654

-20.36%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$1.23 MWK 2,109

39.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.60 MWK 1,026

35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$2.24 MWK 3,850

18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.00 MWK 6,875

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.28 MWK 2,204

22.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.83 MWK 3,145

19.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.75 MWK 3,005

-32.57%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.88 MWK 4,952

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$16.02 MWK 27.5K

10.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$5.09 MWK 8,746

-25.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$3.92 MWK 6,735

204.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.55 MWK 4,370

41.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.21 MWK 2,083

31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.46 MWK 2,501

58.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$2.22 MWK 3,809

-13.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$2.07 MWK 3,546

-14.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.99 MWK 1,700

135.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$1.03 MWK 1,763

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$2.37 MWK 4,072

-3.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$23.72 MWK 40.7K

-6.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$1.19 MWK 2,042

97.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.57 MWK 4,412

15.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.90 MWK 1,551

-74.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$4.28 MWK 7,341

107.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$2.54 MWK 4,355

-83.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$2.20 MWK 3,776

148.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.56 MWK 2,679

-46.79%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$45.36 MWK 77.9K

76.34%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$11.62 MWK 20.0K

-43.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$60.3 MWK 103.6K

-69.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$30.44 MWK 52.3K

77.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$350 MWK 601.5K

40.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$544 MWK 933.2K

108.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$85.6 MWK 147.0K

685.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$578 MWK 992.6K

524.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$694 MWK 1.2M

145.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$370 MWK 635.2K

-55.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lilongwe: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Lilongwe

$86 13.4% 87.3% $587

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Lilongwe

$251 * 39.1% 12.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Lilongwe

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Lilongwe

$136 21.3% 28% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Lilongwe

$117 18.3% 11.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Lilongwe

$30 * 4.8% 51.4% $32

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Lilongwe

$21 * 3.2% 65.5% $8.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $544 in Lilongwe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lilongwe pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $34.00 in Lilongwe for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $251 per month, with Lilongwe cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇼 Lilongwe

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

18:12 6:12 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

781,538 Capital

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malawian Kwacha MWK MK

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD

10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MWK, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malawian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,717 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.82 USD). 1 EUR = 1,930 MWK (10,000 MWK = 5.18 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Lilongwe 8,870 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Lilongwe

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 Lilongwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lilongwe is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 111% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 122% lower in Lilongwe. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $544 in Lilongwe. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lilongwe – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $35.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $641 in Lilongwe versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lilongwe but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lilongwe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lilongwe 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 Lilongwe 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 Lilongwe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.