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: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $830 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,234 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,638 in Putrajaya.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 65% more expensive than in Putrajaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Putrajaya is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$3.78 MYR 15.45

-8.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$19.96 MYR 81.5

81.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$3.89 MYR 15.89

46.79%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.94 MYR 12.00

-9.18%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.80 MYR 3.28

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.39 MYR 1.61

123.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$3.59 MYR 14.65

-17.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$4.65 MYR 18.99

-2.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.75 MYR 7.16

-7.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.10 MYR 4.47

111.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$1.44 MYR 5.88

-22.92%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$1.73 MYR 7.08

27.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$7.69 MYR 31.39

130.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$4.56 MYR 18.62

-10.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$9.95 MYR 40.61

22.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$2.48 MYR 10.13

49.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$1.57 MYR 6.43

1.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$2.25 MYR 9.19

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$1.67 MYR 6.83

16.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$1.38 MYR 5.62

38.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.43 MYR 5.83

62.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$1.31 MYR 5.37

-22.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.51 MYR 2.08

7.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$4.21 MYR 17.20

-47.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$13.26 MYR 54.1

73.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$2.95 MYR 12.06

-17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$3.15 MYR 12.84

-4.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.77 MYR 3.15

-64.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

$12.34 MYR 50.4

-27.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.01 MYR 4.14

-52.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.47 MYR 1.94

-8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$9.97 MYR 40.71

-43.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$0.70 MYR 2.84

14.29%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$41.7K MYR 170.1K

-40.14%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$33.9K MYR 138.3K

-6.39%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$53.1 MYR 217

53.44%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$11.26 MYR 45.97

-42.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$23.15 MYR 94.5

-18.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$34.95 MYR 143

62.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$9.53 MYR 38.91

96.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$5.03 MYR 20.53

-9.74%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$514 MYR 2,099

-6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$4,473 MYR 18.3K

27.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$66.0 MYR 269

-31.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$16.57 MYR 67.7

116.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$82.0 MYR 335

-2.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$85.0 MYR 347

-7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$350 MYR 1,428

218.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$225 MYR 920

209.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$650 MYR 2,653

459.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$362 MYR 1,478

379.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

$2,705 MYR 11.0K

2.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

$1,786 MYR 7,292

28.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$1,047 MYR 4,276

-83.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.06

239.41%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $350 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 523% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $20.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 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 65% 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, salaries run 523% lower in Putrajaya. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $350 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 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $481 in Ubud, Bali versus $514 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $830 in Putrajaya versus $1,368 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 $830 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 65% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.