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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $544 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $684 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $824 in Malda.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 165% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Malda is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.26 ₹309

9.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$11.62 ₹1,103

180.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.52 ₹334

44.03%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.79 ₹170

58.10%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.40 ₹38.23

235.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.15 ₹14.12

360.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.72 ₹163

73.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.88 ₹273

33.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$0.63 ₹59.5

176.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.43 ₹40.75

490.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.49 ₹46.59

142.86%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$0.80 ₹76.4

203.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$5.41 ₹514

170.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.53 ₹240

65.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.51 ₹238

47.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.79 ₹75.3

103.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$1.28 ₹121

110.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$0.65 ₹61.6

258.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.28 ₹26.35

582.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.33 ₹31.73

563.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.42 ₹39.47

152.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.17 ₹16.31

323.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$3.86 ₹367

-18.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$9.81 ₹931

139.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$1.68 ₹160

63.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.48 ₹236

16.13%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$2.50 ₹238

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.30 ₹28.53

-3.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$8.64 ₹820

-5.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.55 ₹52.4

-18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.28 ₹26.29

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$2.08 ₹197

196.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.24 ₹118

-32.26%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$15.9K ₹1.5M

64.81%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$22.9K ₹2.2M

41.72%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$41.19 ₹3,911

90.39%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$3.85 ₹365

2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$5.78 ₹549

322.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$16.15 ₹1,533

497.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$6.99 ₹664

-9.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.02 ₹382

0.50%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$43.03 ₹4,085

603.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$1,600 ₹151.9K

307.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$8.06 ₹765

567.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$8.03 ₹762

372.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$48.87 ₹4,640

77.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$9.14 ₹868

762.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$289 ₹27.5K

250.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$231 ₹21.9K

192.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$411 ₹39.0K

725.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$182 ₹17.3K

1054.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$378 ₹35.9K

-54.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

9.9

34.14%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Malda: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $289 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Malda pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $109 per month, with Malda 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 Malda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Malda is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 165% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Malda earns 118% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $289 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 174% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Malda – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $544 in Malda versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Malda but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Malda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Malda 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 Malda 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 Malda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 165% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.