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: $1,392 in Ubud, Bali versus $532 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,557 in Ubud, Bali versus $673 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,723 in Ubud, Bali versus $813 in Malda.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 162% more expensive than in Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Malda is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.5K

$3.22 ₹307

10.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.32 Rp 583.4K

$11.43 ₹1,091

182.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.01 Rp 90.4K

$3.50 ₹334

43.14%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 51.0K

$1.88 ₹179

50.00%

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

$1.35 Rp 24.4K

$0.41 ₹39.04

229.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.2K

$0.14 ₹13.50

421.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 Rp 53.0K

$1.78 ₹170

64.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 Rp 71.1K

$3.00 ₹286

31.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$0.60 ₹57.1

196.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 44.2K

$0.40 ₹37.80

512.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

$0.49 ₹46.55

134.69%

Eggs

$2.41 Rp 43.6K

$0.76 ₹72.3

217.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 Rp 258.7K

$5.54 ₹528

158.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 Rp 75.6K

$2.61 ₹249

60.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 Rp 217.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.64 Rp 65.7K

$2.47 ₹236

47.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$0.79 ₹75.7

98.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$1.33 ₹126

109.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.5K

$0.64 ₹61.2

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$0.30 ₹28.73

560.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$0.33 ₹31.78

590.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

$0.44 ₹42.08

138.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.15 ₹14.23

426.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.19 Rp 57.6K

$3.91 ₹373

-18.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 424.1K

$9.00 ₹858

161.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 52.3K

$1.68 ₹160

72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 Rp 49.7K

$2.42 ₹231

14.05%

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

$2.46 ₹235

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,813

$0.28 ₹26.57

-3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 151.1K

$8.60 ₹821

-2.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,167

$0.59 ₹56.4

-23.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,298

$0.28 ₹26.35

64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 Rp 109.6K

$1.99 ₹190

205.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

$1.23 ₹117

-30.08%

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

$26.6K Rp 480.0M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

69.11%

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

$32.5K Rp 587.6M

$22.4K ₹2.1M

45.39%

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

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

$41.19 ₹3,928

91.84%

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

$4.09 Rp 73.9K

$3.83 ₹366

6.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.85 Rp 430.5K

$5.66 ₹540

321.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

$15.80 ₹1,507

525.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 114.7K

$7.00 ₹667

-9.29%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 72.3K

$4.16 ₹397

-3.61%

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

$297 Rp 5.4M

$43.87 ₹4,184

577.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,602 Rp 119.2M

$1,567 ₹149.4K

321.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 964.5K

$8.30 ₹791

543.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 Rp 688.1K

$8.29 ₹791

359.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

$48.98 ₹4,672

80.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

$9.28 ₹885

725.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 Rp 18.4M

$296 ₹28.2K

244.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 Rp 12.3M

$228 ₹21.8K

198.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 Rp 62.6M

$399 ₹38.1K

768.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 Rp 37.7M

$184 ₹17.5K

1038.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,295 Rp 41.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$164 Rp 3.0M

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Malda: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,020 in Ubud, Bali and $296 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $11.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $107 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 162% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,088 in Ubud, Bali and $798 in Malda to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,020 in Ubud, Bali versus $296 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% 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 $11.00 versus $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $532 in Malda versus $1,392 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 162% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.