Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $937 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$937

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Shah 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 Shah Alam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $937 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Shah Alam $937

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,432 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Shah Alam $1,432

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,927 in Shah Alam, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Shah Alam $1,927

Ubud, Bali costs about 44% more than Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Shah Alam is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$3.69 MYR 15.07

-12.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$19.56 MYR 79.8

78.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$4.05 MYR 16.52

40.74%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.98 MYR 12.17

-12.08%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.72 MYR 2.95

138.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.38 MYR 1.57

113.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$3.40 MYR 13.86

-22.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$4.34 MYR 17.69

0.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.87 MYR 7.63

-16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.09 MYR 4.43

100.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$1.48 MYR 6.05

-20.27%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$2.24 MYR 9.12

-3.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$13.92 MYR 56.8

26.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$4.37 MYR 17.81

-13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$9.48 MYR 38.67

26.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$3.45 MYR 14.08

4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.64 MYR 6.71

-3.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$2.75 MYR 11.20

-16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.82 MYR 7.40

4.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.21 MYR 4.93

47.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$2.02 MYR 8.26

15.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$1.44 MYR 5.86

-30.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.58 MYR 2.35

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.37 MYR 17.82

-47.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$18.51 MYR 75.5

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$2.67 MYR 10.90

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$4.45 MYR 18.15

-33.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.75 MYR 3.07

-69.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$16.00 MYR 65.3

-44.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.24 MYR 5.05

-62.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.37 MYR 1.53

16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$7.23 MYR 29.51

-24.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.80 MYR 3.26

3.75%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$46.1K MYR 188.3K

-48.26%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$36.2K MYR 147.7K

-9.44%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$37.60 MYR 153

112.74%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$10.01 MYR 40.84

-34.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$28.97 MYR 118

-35.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$40.53 MYR 165

33.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$5.02 MYR 20.48

264.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$6.41 MYR 26.17

-33.70%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$196 MYR 800

151.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$4,644 MYR 18.9K

20.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$58.4 MYR 238

-21.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$39.89 MYR 163

-12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$67.8 MYR 276

14.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$68.5 MYR 279

14.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$339 MYR 1,384

233.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$308 MYR 1,258

118.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$569 MYR 2,322

534.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$553 MYR 2,255

207.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$1,519 MYR 6,197

78.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$1,170 MYR 4,772

91.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$1,244 MYR 5,076

-86.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.04

241.09%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Shah Alam

$308 32.9% 54.2% $365

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Shah Alam

$263 28.1% 8.3% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 1% $1

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Shah Alam

$108 11.5% 1.1% $1.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Shah Alam

$77 8.2% 27.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 14.8% $9.3

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 77.9% $9.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $339 in Shah Alam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 648% higher in Shah Alam, 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 $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $20.00 in Shah Alam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $263 – making Shah Alam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

812,327

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Shah Alam 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Shah 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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,405 in Shah Alam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Shah Alam, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $20.00 in Shah Alam. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $937 in Shah Alam. That's a gap of about 44%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shah Alam, where all-in costs run around $937, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Shah Alam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Shah Alam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Shah Alam. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.