Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Malacca

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $613 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
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Malacca Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $613 in Malacca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Malacca $613

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $976 in Malacca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Malacca $976

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,340 in Malacca, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Malacca $1,340

Ubud, Bali costs about 121% more than Malacca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Malacca is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$3.36 MYR 13.72

-3.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$18.34 MYR 74.8

90.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$4.76 MYR 19.43

19.75%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-11.49%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.79 MYR 3.23

117.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.51 MYR 2.07

58.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$1.94 MYR 7.90

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$3.00 MYR 12.24

45.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.67 MYR 6.80

-5.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.05 MYR 4.29

108.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.45 MYR 5.92

-18.62%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.74 MYR 7.09

24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$17.91 MYR 73.1

-1.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.71 MYR 19.23

-19.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$10.63 MYR 43.34

12.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$3.41 MYR 13.91

5.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.74 MYR 7.08

-8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.42 MYR 9.88

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.67 MYR 6.81

14.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.41 MYR 5.75

26.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.64 MYR 6.70

42.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.33 MYR 5.41

-24.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.55 MYR 2.22

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.38 MYR 17.86

-47.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$14.09 MYR 57.5

56.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$2.07 MYR 8.46

13.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$2.97 MYR 12.12

0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.51 MYR 2.08

-54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$12.28 MYR 50.1

-27.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$0.99 MYR 4.04

-52.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.75 MYR 3.06

-42.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$12.17 MYR 49.66

-55.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.52 MYR 2.11

59.62%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$44.1K MYR 179.9K

-45.86%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$35.4K MYR 144.2K

-7.27%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$53.2 MYR 217

50.47%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$11.10 MYR 45.30

-40.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$29.15 MYR 119

-36.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$22.24 MYR 90.7

143.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$11.74 MYR 47.89

55.71%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$4.87 MYR 19.88

-12.73%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$164 MYR 671

199.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$4,433 MYR 18.1K

26.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$54.8 MYR 223

-16.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$16.49 MYR 67.3

112.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$81.2 MYR 331

-4.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$97.2 MYR 397

-19.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$198 MYR 809

470.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,170 MYR 4,772

132.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$799 MYR 3,261

180.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$415 MYR 1,692

-59.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.06

239.41%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Malacca: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Malacca

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Malacca

$258 42.2% 10% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Malacca

$112 18.3% 5.4% $5.8

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Malacca

$98 15.9% 8.2% $8.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Malacca

$93 15.2% 11.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Malacca

$32 5.2% 48.9% $31

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Malacca

$19 3.1% 53.4% $6.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $198 in Malacca. 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 149% higher in Malacca, 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 $18.00 in Malacca. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $258 – making Malacca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Malacca

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

579,000

💱 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 21, 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 21, 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 Malacca 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Malacca

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 Malacca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, $613 in Malacca – roughly 121% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $919 in Malacca. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $18.00 in Malacca. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $613 in Malacca. That's a gap of about 121%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Malacca, where all-in costs run around $613, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Malacca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ubud, Bali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $613 in Malacca to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Malacca. 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.