Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sungai Petani Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Sungai Petani

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $824 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,254 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,684 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than in Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Sungai Petani is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.07 MYR 12.57

12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$20.95 MYR 85.7

54.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.16 MYR 17.01

16.35%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$1.66 MYR 6.80

65.66%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.49 MYR 2.02

181.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.25 MYR 1.02

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$4.49 MYR 18.36

-33.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.84 MYR 11.62

35.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.82 MYR 7.44

-4.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.68 MYR 2.80

261.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.25 MYR 5.12

-6.40%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$2.13 MYR 8.70

14.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$14.89 MYR 60.9

-2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.60 MYR 14.73

20.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$9.79 MYR 40.05

22.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$2.91 MYR 11.91

27.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.52 MYR 6.21

7.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$2.72 MYR 11.14

0.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$2.10 MYR 8.59

6.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.18 MYR 4.84

62.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.16 MYR 4.76

96.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.90 MYR 3.69

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.46 MYR 1.87

56.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.99 MYR 16.33

-17.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$18.87 MYR 77.2

22.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$2.70 MYR 11.04

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$3.47 MYR 14.20

-21.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.70 MYR 2.85

-61.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$11.96 MYR 48.94

-32.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$0.74 MYR 3.04

-35.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.50 MYR 2.04

-16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$7.02 MYR 28.71

-11.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.50 MYR 2.05

62.00%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$32.9K MYR 134.7K

-19.20%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$27.2K MYR 111.4K

18.22%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$39.01 MYR 160

100.85%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$9.93 MYR 40.63

-59.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$31.39 MYR 128

-22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$36.48 MYR 149

170.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$5.92 MYR 24.22

7.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$2.79 MYR 11.41

43.01%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$240 MYR 983

26.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$6,266 MYR 25.6K

6.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$54.0 MYR 221

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$28.31 MYR 116

33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$62.3 MYR 255

39.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$53.8 MYR 220

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$384 MYR 1,571

158.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$270 MYR 1,106

148.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$634 MYR 2,593

432.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$479 MYR 1,960

327.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$2,051 MYR 8,389

36.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,180 MYR 4,826

88.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$494 MYR 2,020

-66.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.16

219.23%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $384 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sungai Petani pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $249 per month, with Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Sungai Petani differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $824 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Sungai Petani. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $384 in Sungai Petani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $240 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $824 in Sungai Petani versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.