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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $813 in Putrajaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,223 in Putrajaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,633 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 7% above, Putrajaya is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$3.61 MYR 14.24

-1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$19.11 MYR 75.5

70.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$4.58 MYR 18.11

10.70%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$3.02 MYR 11.94

-6.29%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.76 MYR 2.99

76.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.38 MYR 1.49

81.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$3.56 MYR 14.07

-16.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$4.47 MYR 17.64

-13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.65 MYR 6.52

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$0.80 MYR 3.15

217.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$1.24 MYR 4.91

-4.03%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.80 MYR 7.11

35.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$6.41 MYR 25.33

128.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$4.43 MYR 17.48

-5.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$9.28 MYR 36.67

28.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$3.16 MYR 12.48

16.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$1.34 MYR 5.29

20.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$3.14 MYR 12.42

-14.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.61 MYR 6.38

44.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$1.50 MYR 5.94

27.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$1.80 MYR 7.11

21.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$1.64 MYR 6.47

-35.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.56 MYR 2.23

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$4.16 MYR 16.43

-24.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$14.83 MYR 58.6

58.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$2.85 MYR 11.25

-3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$2.92 MYR 11.53

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.69 MYR 2.71

-57.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$11.86 MYR 46.86

-31.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.90 MYR 3.56

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$1.02 MYR 4.05

-58.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$5.76 MYR 22.73

6.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$0.50 MYR 1.98

68.00%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$35.9K MYR 141.7K

-26.83%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$38.0K MYR 149.9K

-14.43%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$46.05 MYR 182

70.29%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$9.11 MYR 36.00

-56.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$22.53 MYR 89.0

8.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$37.33 MYR 147

158.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$8.78 MYR 34.70

-27.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$4.89 MYR 19.33

-17.38%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$187 MYR 740

61.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$6,902 MYR 27.3K

-5.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$65.5 MYR 259

-17.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$18.86 MYR 74.5

101.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$73.7 MYR 291

17.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$40.66 MYR 161

93.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$344 MYR 1,357

194.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$236 MYR 932

185.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$640 MYR 2,528

429.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$373 MYR 1,474

462.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,097 MYR 8,282

42.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,496 MYR 5,908

56.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$1,283 MYR 5,068

-86.51%

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: April 28, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $344 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Putrajaya pays 641% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $19.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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 641% 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $344 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 45% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $187 in Putrajaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $813 in Putrajaya versus $1,438 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 $813 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.