Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,120 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Selangor, Malaysia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,331
/mo nomad
Selangor
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$1,120
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Selangor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,331 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,120 in Selangor.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,331
  • Selangor $1,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,255 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,623 in Selangor.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,255
  • Selangor $1,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,180 in Ubud, Bali versus $2,126 in Selangor.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,180
  • Selangor $2,126

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 19% more expensive than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Selangor 17% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.38 Rp 61.1K
$4.38 MYR 17.76
-22.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.65 Rp 627.3K
$19.63 MYR 79.6
76.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.57 Rp 100.9K
$3.87 MYR 15.68
43.93%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.4K
$2.23 MYR 9.04
17.49%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 Rp 27.9K
$0.82 MYR 3.34
87.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.64 Rp 11.6K
$0.47 MYR 1.89
36.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 Rp 48.3K
$4.38 MYR 17.77
-39.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.26 Rp 77.2K
$4.94 MYR 20.04
-13.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 Rp 26.5K
$1.85 MYR 7.50
-21.08%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 Rp 41.5K
$1.09 MYR 4.40
110.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.11 Rp 20.0K
$1.49 MYR 6.06
-25.50%
Eggs
$2.10 Rp 38.0K
$1.97 MYR 7.98
6.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 Rp 288.6K
$16.97 MYR 68.8
-6.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.88 Rp 70.3K
$5.06 MYR 20.52
-23.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.40 Rp 206.4K
$10.91 MYR 44.25
4.49%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 64.3K
$4.22 MYR 17.11
-15.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 Rp 27.8K
$1.85 MYR 7.52
-16.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$3.51 MYR 14.24
-36.47%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.7K
$2.71 MYR 11.01
-27.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 Rp 33.6K
$1.75 MYR 7.10
6.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 43.8K
$1.08 MYR 4.37
124.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.02 Rp 18.6K
$1.13 MYR 4.57
-9.73%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.52 Rp 9,456
$0.57 MYR 2.31
-8.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.20 Rp 39.8K
$4.33 MYR 17.55
-49.19%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.79 Rp 394.4K
$30.74 MYR 125
-29.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.33 Rp 42.1K
$4.61 MYR 18.72
-49.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.8K
$5.60 MYR 22.72
-46.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,533
$0.73 MYR 2.95
-65.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.17 Rp 148.0K
$12.18 MYR 49.41
-32.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,925
$1.25 MYR 5.07
-64.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.47 Rp 8,472
$1.20 MYR 4.86
-60.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.60 Rp 101.4K
$6.21 MYR 25.18
-9.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.75 MYR 3.05
10.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K Rp 442.6M
$45.1K MYR 183.0K
-45.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 573.8M
$35.1K MYR 142.4K
-9.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$77.5 Rp 1.4M
$76.0 MYR 308
1.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.14 Rp 111.2K
$10.59 MYR 42.95
-42.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.92 Rp 342.4K
$30.15 MYR 122
-37.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$51.0 Rp 923.1K
$41.01 MYR 166
24.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.25 Rp 330.4K
$6.91 MYR 28.04
164.11%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 79.3K
$6.00 MYR 24.34
-27.00%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$492 Rp 8.9M
$122 MYR 496
302.90%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.2K Rp 221.2M
$16.1K MYR 65.4K
-24.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.16 Rp 817.6K
$114 MYR 461
-60.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.89 Rp 631.6K
$65.0 MYR 263
-46.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.3 Rp 1.4M
$78.6 MYR 319
-0.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$77.9 Rp 1.4M
$83.2 MYR 338
-6.41%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,078 Rp 19.5M
$509 MYR 2,063
111.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$665 Rp 12.0M
$338 MYR 1,370
96.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,510 Rp 63.5M
$907 MYR 3,679
287.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 Rp 30.2M
$481 MYR 1,953
247.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,340 Rp 42.4M
$1,819 MYR 7,379
28.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,236 Rp 40.5M
$1,055 MYR 4,281
111.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Selangor
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$1,027 MYR 4,168
-83.81%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.96
247.98%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$665
Selangor
$338 49.2% $327
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$279
Selangor
$326 16.8% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$106
Selangor
$153 44.1% $47
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Selangor
$110 4.3% $4.6
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$103
Selangor
$117 13.8% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$60
Selangor
$53 11.3% $6.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Selangor
$22 86.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali and $509 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Selangor pays about 6.2 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Ubud, Bali vs $20 in Selangor. Groceries flip the comparison at $279 vs $326, with Ubud, Bali cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇾 Selangor
🕒 Local time
03:12 3:12 AM
03:12 3:12 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
281,717
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,103 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.52 USD). 1 EUR = 20,331 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.06 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Selangor 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Selangor?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $1,120 in Selangor, so Selangor is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Selangor?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $509 in Selangor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Ubud, Bali pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Selangor – a meal for two runs $20 versus $35 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How far does $2,000 go in Ubud, Bali compared to Selangor?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Selangor gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Selangor?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Ubud, Bali or Selangor safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Selangor are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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