Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Malang

For one person, living is cheaper in Malang: $464 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

65

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
Learn more

Ubud, Bali Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Malang
Learn more

Malang Living Index

Jump to prices

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Malang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$464

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $464 in Malang, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,349
Malang $464

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $713 in Malang, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,305
Malang $713

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $963 in Malang, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,261
Malang $963

Ubud, Bali costs about 191% more than Malang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

$1.13 Rp 20.4K

193.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

$11.09 Rp 201.2K

221.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

$2.80 Rp 50.8K

97.50%

Cappuccino

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

$1.25 Rp 22.7K

117.60%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

$0.56 Rp 10.1K

203.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

$0.21 Rp 3,806

261.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

$2.24 Rp 40.6K

18.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

$4.17 Rp 75.6K

5.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

$0.94 Rp 17.0K

58.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

$1.07 Rp 19.4K

113.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

$0.77 Rp 13.9K

54.55%

Eggs

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

$1.17 Rp 21.2K

74.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

$5.60 Rp 101.6K

216.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

$3.00 Rp 54.5K

32.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

$6.89 Rp 124.9K

76.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

$1.98 Rp 35.9K

84.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

$1.29 Rp 23.4K

17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

$1.51 Rp 27.5K

47.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

$1.39 Rp 25.2K

41.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

$1.30 Rp 23.5K

42.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

$1.92 Rp 34.9K

26.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

$0.50 Rp 8,987

98.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 Rp 9,313

$0.42 Rp 7,656

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

$2.57 Rp 46.7K

-13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

$12.41 Rp 225.1K

79.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

$1.65 Rp 29.9K

36.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

$2.86 Rp 51.9K

3.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,553

$0.58 Rp 10.6K

-56.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

$5.39 Rp 97.7K

45.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,972

$0.49 Rp 8,917

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

$0.38 Rp 6,867

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

$5.61 Rp 101.7K

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

12.33%

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

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

$25.1K Rp 455.2M

-5.00%

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

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

$27.4K Rp 497.2M

15.81%

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

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$30.88 Rp 560.1K

156.02%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

$2.30 Rp 41.8K

180.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

$19.26 Rp 349.4K

-3.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

$14.37 Rp 260.7K

244.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

$4.58 Rp 83.0K

285.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

$1.88 Rp 34.1K

127.13%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

$30.06 Rp 545.2K

1531.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

$9,230 Rp 167.4M

-38.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

$55.7 Rp 1.0M

-19.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

$22.42 Rp 406.6K

55.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$50.8 Rp 921.8K

57.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

$35.21 Rp 638.6K

125.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

$136 Rp 2.5M

726.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 Rp 12.2M

$89.5 Rp 1.6M

650.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

$196 Rp 3.5M

1721.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

$154 Rp 2.8M

1019.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

$201 Rp 3.6M

-18.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

244.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malang: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Malang

$89 19.3% 86.7% $582

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Malang

$165 35.5% 43% $124

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Malang

$55 11.9% 48.9% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Malang

$74 15.9% 31.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Malang

$52 11.3% 49.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Malang

$18 3.9% 68.8% $40

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Malang

$10 2.2% 11.6% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $136 in Malang. 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 23% higher in Malang, 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 $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $11 in Malang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $165 – making Malang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Malang

🕒 Local time

15:32 3:32 PM

14:32 2:32 PM

1 h behind Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

857,891

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Malang 300 km

From you

Ubud, Bali
Malang

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 Malang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $695 in Malang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Malang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Malang. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $30 in Malang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Malang, where all-in costs run around $464, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Malang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

For expats, Malang is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 66% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.