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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $542 in Malda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $680 in Malda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $819 in Malda.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 159% more expensive than Malda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Malda is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$3.16 ₹301

12.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$11.53 ₹1,097

181.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$3.42 ₹326

42.11%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$1.88 ₹179

46.28%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.38 ₹35.69

247.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.13 ₹12.13

438.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.78 ₹169

63.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.94 ₹280

28.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$0.58 ₹55.3

194.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$0.43 ₹40.51

474.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.53 ₹50.7

126.42%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$0.80 ₹76.5

205.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$5.32 ₹506

170.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$2.61 ₹248

65.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$2.42 ₹231

52.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$0.79 ₹74.9

96.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$1.25 ₹119

123.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$0.66 ₹62.4

253.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.30 ₹28.71

556.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.33 ₹31.47

600.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.44 ₹42.03

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.15 ₹14.12

386.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$4.06 ₹386

-19.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$8.33 ₹792

173.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$1.74 ₹165

61.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.51 ₹239

10.76%

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

$2.41 ₹230

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.28 ₹26.42

3.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$8.84 ₹841

-8.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$0.59 ₹56.4

-23.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.30 ₹28.65

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$2.07 ₹197

201.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.18 ₹113

-27.97%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$15.7K ₹1.5M

65.73%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$22.5K ₹2.1M

40.85%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$41.81 ₹3,976

93.14%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$4.04 ₹384

0.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$5.91 ₹562

313.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$16.14 ₹1,535

505.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$6.95 ₹661

-7.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$4.10 ₹390

-1.46%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$43.41 ₹4,128

600.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$1,569 ₹149.2K

321.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$8.13 ₹773

567.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$8.10 ₹770

378.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$48.72 ₹4,633

76.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$9.10 ₹865

742.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$291 ₹27.6K

239.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$229 ₹21.8K

186.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$403 ₹38.4K

735.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$178 ₹17.0K

1058.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Malda: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $291 in Malda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $12.00 in Malda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $105 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 159% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,106 in Ubud, Bali and $813 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $291 in Malda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 183% 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 $542 in Malda versus $1,404 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 159% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.