Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Malaga

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,348 a month against $2,063 in Malaga, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Malaga
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Malaga Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,348

/mo nomad

Malaga

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,063

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,063 in Malaga.

Ubud, Bali $1,348
Malaga $2,063

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,312 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,978 in Malaga.

Ubud, Bali $2,312
Malaga $2,978

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,276 in Ubud, Bali versus $3,893 in Malaga.

Ubud, Bali $3,276
Malaga $3,893

Living in Ubud, Bali costs roughly 35% less than in Malaga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ubud, Bali 1% above, Malaga 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.6K

$16.65 €14.86

-80.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.42 Rp 633.1K

$67.1 €59.8

-47.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.76 Rp 102.9K

$12.46 €11.12

-53.77%

Cappuccino

$2.63 Rp 47.0K

$2.58 €2.30

1.94%

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

$1.74 Rp 31.0K

$2.78 €2.48

-37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

$2.07 €1.85

-62.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.32 €2.96

-18.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.8K

$4.54 €4.06

-0.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 Rp 27.4K

$1.20 €1.07

27.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 Rp 39.2K

$1.49 €1.33

47.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

$1.83 €1.64

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.2K

$3.37 €3.01

-36.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.73 Rp 316.9K

$15.55 €13.88

14.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 Rp 68.9K

$8.07 €7.20

-52.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 Rp 215.0K

$15.00 €13.38

-19.80%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 Rp 64.5K

$2.49 €2.22

44.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 Rp 27.1K

$1.94 €1.73

-22.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 Rp 41.4K

$1.74 €1.55

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.8K

$2.45 €2.19

-18.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.56 €1.39

16.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.7K

$2.08 €1.86

14.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.8K

$1.20 €1.08

-17.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,373

$0.66 €0.59

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.18 Rp 39.0K

$6.74 €6.02

-67.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.98 Rp 410.7K

$6.54 €5.83

251.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 Rp 42.8K

$1.14 €1.02

110.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.6K

$2.38 €2.12

26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,255

$1.61 €1.44

-85.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.99 Rp 125.0K

$26.95 €24.05

-74.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,876

$1.92 €1.71

-77.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,582

$1.23 €1.09

-65.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 97.4K

$22.47 €20.05

-75.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 15.1K

$1.85 €1.65

-54.59%

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

$24.3K Rp 434.8M

$34.7K €31.0K

-29.87%

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

$31.9K Rp 570.0M

$29.2K €26.1K

9.22%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$163 €146

-50.46%

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

$6.58 Rp 117.6K

$10.72 €9.56

-38.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.24 Rp 326.1K

$25.05 €22.36

-27.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.1 Rp 985.4K

$42.55 €37.97

29.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 Rp 330.9K

$18.22 €16.26

1.59%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.9K

$9.69 €8.65

-56.24%

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

$486 Rp 8.7M

$854 €762

-43.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,676 Rp 101.5M

$9,879 €8,816

-42.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.18 Rp 807.6K

$89.7 €80.0

-49.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.57 Rp 617.9K

$39.53 €35.27

-12.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 Rp 1.4M

$84.9 €75.7

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.6 Rp 1.4M

$107 €95.3

-27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 Rp 20.1M

$1,483 €1,323

-24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 12.1M

$1,078 €962

-37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,618 Rp 64.7M

$2,518 €2,247

43.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 Rp 31.0M

$1,634 €1,458

6.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.6M

$4,897 €4,370

-42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,307 Rp 41.2M

$2,864 €2,556

-19.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$1,871 €1,670

-91.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.32

315.06%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 5, 2026

Last update for Malaga: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$674 49.6%

Malaga

$1.1K 52.9% 59.9% $404

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.4%

Malaga

$268 13.2% 7.6% $22

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Malaga

$247 12.1% 128% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Malaga

$144 7.1% 35.7% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.8%

Malaga

$199 9.8% 88.3% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$64 4.7%

Malaga

$62 3% 2.7% $1.7

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.8%

Malaga

$41 2% 295% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,127 in Ubud, Bali and $1,483 in Malaga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malaga pays 1029% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $67.0 in Malaga. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $268, with Malaga cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇪🇸 Malaga

🕒 Local time

18:19 6:19 PM

12:19 12:19 PM

6 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

586,384

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Malaga 13,200 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Malaga

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 Malaga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Malaga differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,348 vs $2,063 including rent). Ubud, Bali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 1029% lower in Malaga. 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: $1,127 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,483 in Malaga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,348 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $2,063 in Malaga – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 286% less than in Malaga. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,063 in Malaga, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ubud, Bali but tight or insufficient in Malaga. The gap between the two cities makes Ubud, Bali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Malaga 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 Ubud, Bali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Malaga. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.