Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Semenyih

For one person, living is cheaper in Semenyih: $946 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Semenyih, Malaysia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Semenyih
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$946
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $946 in Semenyih, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Semenyih $946

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,457 in Semenyih, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Semenyih $1,457

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,968 in Semenyih, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Semenyih $1,968

Ubud, Bali costs about 43% more than Semenyih, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$3.69 MYR 15.01
-10.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.7K
$18.66 MYR 76.0
91.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$4.82 MYR 19.61
14.73%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.85 MYR 11.58
-4.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.59 MYR 2.39
188.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.55 MYR 2.25
38.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.2K
$4.47 MYR 18.18
-40.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$6.28 MYR 25.58
-30.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.68 MYR 6.84
-11.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$1.01 MYR 4.13
125.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.43 MYR 5.81
-16.78%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.71 MYR 6.97
19.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.2K
$18.17 MYR 74.0
-2.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$4.53 MYR 18.46
-12.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.2K
$10.57 MYR 43.01
15.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$3.36 MYR 13.69
8.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.68 MYR 6.83
-9.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$3.95 MYR 16.07
-43.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.62 MYR 6.58
21.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$1.40 MYR 5.70
32.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.68 MYR 6.83
44.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$1.36 MYR 5.55
-27.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,316
$0.55 MYR 2.24
-7.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.35 MYR 17.71
-48.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.6K
$13.89 MYR 56.5
60.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$2.98 MYR 12.15
-24.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$3.11 MYR 12.65
-4.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,555
$0.67 MYR 2.75
-62.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.0K
$13.12 MYR 53.4
-40.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,975
$1.00 MYR 4.09
-56.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,804
$0.71 MYR 2.91
-39.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.2K
$10.08 MYR 41.01
-46.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.48 MYR 1.97
70.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.6M
$43.0K MYR 175.0K
-44.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 576.1M
$35.7K MYR 145.1K
-10.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$51.7 MYR 211
52.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.0K
$11.00 MYR 44.79
-41.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.1K
$28.81 MYR 117
-35.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.9K
$34.51 MYR 140
43.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.2K
$6.52 MYR 26.54
170.71%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.6K
$4.91 MYR 19.98
-13.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$235 MYR 956
108.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.0M
$4,499 MYR 18.3K
26.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 810.0K
$54.9 MYR 223
-18.63%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.2K
$16.28 MYR 66.3
114.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$81.8 MYR 333
-2.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$97.7 MYR 398
-18.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$408 MYR 1,660
175.82%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$291 MYR 1,186
130.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$718 MYR 2,924
396.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$552 MYR 2,247
212.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.6M
$2,253 MYR 9,169
21.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$1,327 MYR 5,403
72.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Semenyih
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$672 MYR 2,735
-75.62%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Semenyih: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Semenyih
$291 56.6% $380
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Semenyih
$268 7.2% $21
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Semenyih
$118 9.2% $9.9
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Semenyih
$113 4.9% $5.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Semenyih
$92 12% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Semenyih
$44 23.6% $14
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Semenyih
$20 78.6% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $408 in Semenyih. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Semenyih are about 4.1 times higher, 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 $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $19 in Semenyih. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $268 – making Semenyih the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇾 Semenyih
🕒 Local time
05:04 5:04 AM
05:04 5:04 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
45,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,145 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,337 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.92 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.07 MYR (1 MYR = 0.246 USD). 1 EUR = 4.56 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Semenyih 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Semenyih

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 Semenyih: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Semenyih?
Ubud, Bali costs about 43% more than Semenyih, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Semenyih?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,419 in Semenyih. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Semenyih?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Semenyih, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $408 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Semenyih?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $19 in Semenyih. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Semenyih?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $946 in Semenyih. That makes Semenyih about 30% cheaper.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Semenyih?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $946 in Semenyih. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Semenyih – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Semenyih?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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