Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Petaling Jaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Petaling Jaya: $1,037 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Petaling Jaya
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Petaling Jaya Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,368

/mo nomad

Petaling Jaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Petaling Jaya

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,037 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,368
Petaling Jaya $1,037

A couple spends around $2,314 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,499 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,314
Petaling Jaya $1,499

A family of three spends $3,260 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,962 in Petaling Jaya, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,260
Petaling Jaya $1,962

Ubud, Bali costs about 32% more than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 1% above the global median, while Petaling Jaya is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

$3.58 MYR 14.62

-6.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.18 Rp 633.2K

$24.22 MYR 98.8

45.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 Rp 104.5K

$4.76 MYR 19.40

21.85%

Cappuccino

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$2.99 MYR 12.21

-8.70%

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

$1.64 Rp 29.5K

$0.93 MYR 3.80

76.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 Rp 15.0K

$0.44 MYR 1.81

88.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 Rp 48.6K

$3.32 MYR 13.54

-18.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 Rp 77.4K

$5.64 MYR 23.01

-23.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 27.1K

$1.85 MYR 7.53

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.4K

$1.02 MYR 4.16

125.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.48 MYR 6.02

-20.27%

Eggs

$2.14 Rp 38.6K

$1.83 MYR 7.48

16.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 Rp 314.6K

$9.93 MYR 40.53

76.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 72.5K

$3.29 MYR 13.42

22.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.23 Rp 220.1K

$9.51 MYR 38.81

28.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 63.9K

$3.50 MYR 14.29

1.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.89 MYR 7.70

-16.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.2K

$2.71 MYR 11.07

-17.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.7K

$1.82 MYR 7.44

6.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 Rp 33.9K

$2.15 MYR 8.79

-12.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.29 Rp 41.3K

$1.97 MYR 8.02

16.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 Rp 17.9K

$1.49 MYR 6.08

-33.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,475

$0.56 MYR 2.27

-5.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 Rp 41.1K

$4.62 MYR 18.86

-50.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.01 Rp 414.2K

$19.26 MYR 78.6

19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 Rp 42.2K

$2.62 MYR 10.69

-10.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 Rp 52.4K

$4.68 MYR 19.09

-37.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 Rp 4,315

$1.20 MYR 4.91

-80.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.82 Rp 158.7K

$12.34 MYR 50.3

-28.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,684

$1.23 MYR 5.02

-60.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,233

$0.38 MYR 1.55

21.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 Rp 98.2K

$8.76 MYR 35.75

-37.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 Rp 15.9K

$0.80 MYR 3.26

10.00%

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

$24.6K Rp 442.2M

$41.7K MYR 170.2K

-41.13%

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

$31.2K Rp 561.4M

$32.1K MYR 130.8K

-2.74%

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

$83.0 Rp 1.5M

$49.70 MYR 203

67.02%

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

$6.45 Rp 116.0K

$7.99 MYR 32.61

-19.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.57 Rp 334.2K

$26.77 MYR 109

-30.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 Rp 1.0M

$52.5 MYR 214

6.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.11 Rp 326.0K

$3.03 MYR 12.37

497.69%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 78.9K

$4.93 MYR 20.12

-11.16%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$273 MYR 1,114

80.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,754 Rp 103.6M

$10.5K MYR 42.8K

-45.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.19 Rp 831.4K

$51.7 MYR 211

-10.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 Rp 636.0K

$30.02 MYR 122

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

$78.4 MYR 320

0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$86.4 MYR 353

-9.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 Rp 20.6M

$482 MYR 1,966

137.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$676 Rp 12.2M

$397 MYR 1,620

70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,503 Rp 63.1M

$832 MYR 3,394

321.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 Rp 30.6M

$559 MYR 2,281

204.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 50.1M

$3,184 MYR 13.0K

-12.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$978 MYR 3,990

129.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,707 MYR 6,964

-90.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.51

205.54%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Petaling Jaya: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$676 49.4%

Petaling Jaya

$397 38.3% 41.2% $278

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$290 21.2%

Petaling Jaya

$249 24.1% 14.1% $41

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$109 8%

Petaling Jaya

$112 10.8% 3.2% $3.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Petaling Jaya

$84 8.2% 21.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$108 7.9%

Petaling Jaya

$111 10.7% 3.2% $3.4

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$65 4.7%

Petaling Jaya

$62 6% 3.4% $2.2

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$13 0.9%

Petaling Jaya

$20 2% 61.7% $7.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $482 in Petaling Jaya. 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 937% higher in Petaling Jaya, 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $24.00 in Petaling Jaya. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $290 vs $249 – making Petaling Jaya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Petaling Jaya

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

771,687

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Petaling Jaya 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Petaling Jaya

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 Petaling Jaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 32% more than Petaling Jaya, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,051 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,556 in Petaling Jaya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Petaling Jaya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Petaling Jaya. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $493 per month in Ubud, Bali and $273 in Petaling Jaya. 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 Petaling Jaya, where all-in costs run around $1,037, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,368. In Petaling Jaya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Petaling Jaya costs $1,037 versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Petaling Jaya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.