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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $846 in Sungai Petani.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,285 in Sungai Petani.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,723 in Sungai Petani.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 68% more expensive than Sungai Petani, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Sungai Petani is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$3.13 MYR 12.47

13.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$20.87 MYR 83.3

56.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.36 MYR 17.39

13.53%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$1.70 MYR 6.78

59.41%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.49 MYR 1.96

173.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.25 MYR 1.00

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$4.24 MYR 16.90

-31.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.87 MYR 11.47

37.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.83 MYR 7.32

-1.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$0.68 MYR 2.71

270.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.25 MYR 5.00

-7.20%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$2.04 MYR 8.13

20.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$15.08 MYR 60.2

-2.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$3.52 MYR 14.06

22.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.87 MYR 39.39

23.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.92 MYR 11.64

31.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.44 MYR 5.73

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$2.70 MYR 10.78

4.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$2.08 MYR 8.30

12.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.18 MYR 4.69

61.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$1.21 MYR 4.82

81.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.95 MYR 3.79

6.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.46 MYR 1.82

69.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$4.08 MYR 16.27

-18.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$19.86 MYR 79.2

19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$2.73 MYR 10.88

2.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$3.49 MYR 13.92

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.74 MYR 2.93

-63.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$11.62 MYR 46.36

-30.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$0.70 MYR 2.78

-34.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.50 MYR 1.98

-10.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$7.27 MYR 29.00

-16.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$0.50 MYR 2.00

58.00%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$33.2K MYR 132.5K

-21.26%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$27.3K MYR 109.0K

17.55%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$38.81 MYR 155

105.98%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$10.26 MYR 40.95

-60.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$31.36 MYR 125

-25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$37.11 MYR 148

165.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$5.95 MYR 23.73

11.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$2.84 MYR 11.34

46.13%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$241 MYR 962

26.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$6,305 MYR 25.2K

4.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$54.1 MYR 216

2.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$29.28 MYR 117

30.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$61.0 MYR 243

45.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$52.3 MYR 209

48.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$379 MYR 1,514

165.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$273 MYR 1,091

146.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$644 MYR 2,569

434.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$466 MYR 1,860

337.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$1,277 MYR 5,095

122.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$501 MYR 2,000

351.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$511 MYR 2,040

-67.68%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sungai Petani: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $379 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sungai Petani pays 209% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $251 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 68% in total monthly costs ($1,419 vs $846 including rent). Sungai Petani is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sungai Petani earns 209% less. 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $379 in Sungai Petani. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $241 in Sungai Petani. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $846 in Sungai Petani versus $1,419 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 68% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.