Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Setia Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Setia Alam: $904 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Setia Alam, Malaysia
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Setia Alam
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$904
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Setia Alam

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $904 in Setia Alam, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Setia Alam $904

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,353 in Setia Alam, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Setia Alam $1,353

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,801 in Setia Alam, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Setia Alam $1,801

Ubud, Bali costs about 49% more than Setia Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$4.75 MYR 19.28
-30.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
$24.61 MYR 99.8
44.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$4.98 MYR 20.18
11.04%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.79 MYR 11.32
-2.51%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.77 MYR 3.10
120.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.45 MYR 1.84
68.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$4.40 MYR 17.83
-39.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$6.03 MYR 24.46
-27.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.48 MYR 6.02
0.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$0.72 MYR 2.91
216.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.59 MYR 2.40
101.69%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.15 MYR 4.67
77.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
$13.91 MYR 56.4
27.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$2.51 MYR 10.18
57.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
$2.51 MYR 10.18
385.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$1.19 MYR 4.83
207.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.85 MYR 7.51
-17.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.24 MYR 5.04
79.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.21 MYR 4.89
62.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.69 MYR 2.81
168.12%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$0.70 MYR 2.83
245.71%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.70 MYR 2.85
41.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,313
$0.72 MYR 2.91
-29.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$4.18 MYR 16.93
-46.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
$19.78 MYR 80.2
12.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$3.49 MYR 14.15
-35.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$4.99 MYR 20.23
-40.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,553
$0.75 MYR 3.03
-66.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
$12.39 MYR 50.2
-36.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,972
$1.21 MYR 4.89
-63.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$1.21 MYR 4.90
-64.46%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
$4.77 MYR 19.32
13.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$0.49 MYR 1.98
67.35%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
$39.5K MYR 159.9K
-39.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
$33.4K MYR 135.2K
-4.81%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$61.0 MYR 247
29.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
$8.67 MYR 35.14
-25.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
$25.85 MYR 105
-28.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
$51.1 MYR 207
-3.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
$6.74 MYR 27.33
161.87%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$5.00 MYR 20.26
-14.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$235 MYR 951
109.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
$7,890 MYR 32.0K
-28.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
$72.5 MYR 294
-38.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
$26.70 MYR 108
30.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$53.5 MYR 217
49.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$36.15 MYR 147
119.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$522 MYR 2,116
115.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$313 MYR 1,269
114.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$843 MYR 3,418
322.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$544 MYR 2,207
216.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$2,033 MYR 8,242
34.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$1,188 MYR 4,816
92.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Setia Alam
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$1,152 MYR 4,670
-85.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4
244.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Setia Alam: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Setia Alam
$313 53.4% $358
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Setia Alam
$201 30.4% $88
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Setia Alam
$125 16.5% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Setia Alam
$85 20.9% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Setia Alam
$96 8.2% $8.6
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Setia Alam
$61 5.3% $3.1
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Setia Alam
$23 98.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $522 in Setia Alam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Setia Alam are about 7 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 $25 in Setia Alam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $201 – making Setia Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇲🇾 Setia Alam
🕒 Local time
12:09 12:09 PM
12:09 12:09 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
150,000
💱 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 = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 4.05 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.53 MYR (1 MYR = 0.221 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Setia Alam 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Setia Alam

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 Setia Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Setia Alam?
Ubud, Bali costs about 49% more than Setia Alam, 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 Setia Alam?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,355 in Setia Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Setia Alam?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Setia Alam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How expensive is transport in Ubud, Bali compared to Setia Alam?
Public transport costs about 37% less in Ubud, Bali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Setia Alam?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $235 in Setia Alam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Setia Alam?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $904 in Setia Alam. 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 Setia Alam – 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 Setia Alam?
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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