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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,394 in Ubud, Bali versus $788 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,551 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,196 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,708 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,604 in Putrajaya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 77% more expensive than Putrajaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Putrajaya is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.40 Rp 60.2K

$3.48 MYR 14.16

-2.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.38 Rp 573.6K

$18.95 MYR 77.0

70.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 Rp 88.6K

$4.72 MYR 19.20

5.93%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 50.0K

$2.93 MYR 11.90

-3.75%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.4K

$0.76 MYR 3.08

81.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.0K

$0.37 MYR 1.52

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 Rp 52.8K

$3.64 MYR 14.78

-18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 Rp 70.3K

$4.57 MYR 18.56

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 31.8K

$1.65 MYR 6.71

8.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 43.7K

$0.84 MYR 3.43

192.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.2K

$1.25 MYR 5.07

-4.00%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 42.3K

$1.81 MYR 7.34

32.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.40 Rp 255.1K

$6.68 MYR 27.17

115.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 Rp 75.9K

$4.27 MYR 17.37

0.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 Rp 209.4K

$9.55 MYR 38.82

23.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 67.0K

$3.15 MYR 12.79

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 28.9K

$1.33 MYR 5.42

22.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 Rp 49.6K

$3.21 MYR 13.05

-12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.0K

$1.63 MYR 6.62

38.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 Rp 35.3K

$1.51 MYR 6.14

32.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 Rp 39.2K

$1.75 MYR 7.11

26.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 Rp 18.9K

$1.63 MYR 6.64

-34.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.5K

$0.53 MYR 2.14

43.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 55.4K

$4.22 MYR 17.14

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.9K

$14.31 MYR 58.2

66.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 50.3K

$2.88 MYR 11.69

-1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.2K

$2.97 MYR 12.06

-6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,726

$0.74 MYR 3.01

-63.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.37 Rp 148.2K

$11.75 MYR 47.78

-28.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,034

$0.92 MYR 3.74

-51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,578

$0.99 MYR 4.03

-56.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 Rp 105.9K

$5.97 MYR 24.27

0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.50 MYR 2.02

60.00%

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

$25.8K Rp 457.2M

$35.3K MYR 143.5K

-26.92%

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

$31.8K Rp 563.4M

$38.0K MYR 154.5K

-16.34%

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

$80.7 Rp 1.4M

$46.46 MYR 189

73.78%

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

$4.14 Rp 73.3K

$8.96 MYR 36.43

-53.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.12 Rp 427.2K

$22.71 MYR 92.3

6.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.8 Rp 1.7M

$37.91 MYR 154

157.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.64 Rp 117.7K

$8.80 MYR 35.79

-24.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 71.5K

$4.81 MYR 19.57

-16.01%

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

$297 Rp 5.3M

$184 MYR 749

61.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,590 Rp 116.7M

$7,038 MYR 28.6K

-6.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 Rp 976.8K

$66.0 MYR 268

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.51 Rp 682.1K

$18.54 MYR 75.4

107.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$73.6 MYR 299

16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 Rp 1.4M

$40.41 MYR 164

92.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 Rp 17.5M

$340 MYR 1,381

189.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 11.8M

$233 MYR 947

185.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,446 Rp 61.0M

$616 MYR 2,505

459.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,042 Rp 36.2M

$376 MYR 1,528

443.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,829 Rp 50.1M

$2,062 MYR 8,380

37.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,282 Rp 40.4M

$1,462 MYR 5,944

56.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$1,230 MYR 4,999

-86.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.07

226.29%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 14, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $985 in Ubud, Bali and $340 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 627% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $222 per month, with Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putrajaya wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Putrajaya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Putrajaya earns 627% 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: $985 in Ubud, Bali versus $340 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Putrajaya runs roughly 40% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $184 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $788 in Putrajaya versus $1,394 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Putrajaya delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $788 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Putrajaya hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.