Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Tawau

For one person, living is cheaper in Tawau: $920 a month against $1,331 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

64

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

Cost of Living Index in Tawau
Learn more

Tawau Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,331

/mo nomad

Tawau

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,331 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $920 in Tawau, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $1,331
Tawau $920

A couple spends around $2,255 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,420 in Tawau, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $2,255
Tawau $1,420

A family of three spends $3,180 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,921 in Tawau, rent included.

Ubud, Bali $3,180
Tawau $1,921

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Tawau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ubud, Bali and Tawau are more affordable than the global median – Ubud, Bali 2% lower, Tawau 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 Rp 60.9K

$3.26 MYR 13.20

3.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.65 Rp 625.4K

$20.02 MYR 81.0

73.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 Rp 100.6K

$4.20 MYR 16.97

32.62%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.3K

$3.19 MYR 12.91

-17.87%

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

$1.54 Rp 27.8K

$0.97 MYR 3.92

58.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 Rp 11.6K

$0.35 MYR 1.42

82.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 Rp 48.1K

$2.63 MYR 10.65

1.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 Rp 76.9K

$4.64 MYR 18.75

-8.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 Rp 26.4K

$1.76 MYR 7.14

-17.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 Rp 41.4K

$1.13 MYR 4.57

102.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 20.0K

$1.49 MYR 6.03

-25.50%

Eggs

$2.10 Rp 37.9K

$2.16 MYR 8.74

-2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.94 Rp 287.7K

$15.38 MYR 62.2

3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 70.1K

$4.49 MYR 18.15

-13.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.40 Rp 205.8K

$9.43 MYR 38.14

20.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 Rp 64.1K

$2.87 MYR 11.59

23.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 Rp 27.7K

$1.60 MYR 6.49

-3.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 40.2K

$2.23 MYR 9.03

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.6K

$1.73 MYR 7.00

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 Rp 33.5K

$1.40 MYR 5.68

32.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 Rp 43.6K

$1.22 MYR 4.92

98.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.5K

$1.19 MYR 4.81

-14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 Rp 9,427

$0.51 MYR 2.08

1.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$4.51 MYR 18.24

-51.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.79 Rp 393.2K

$19.08 MYR 77.2

14.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 Rp 42.0K

$2.89 MYR 11.70

-19.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 Rp 53.6K

$4.92 MYR 19.90

-39.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,519

$0.77 MYR 3.12

-67.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 147.5K

$11.72 MYR 47.38

-30.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,901

$1.25 MYR 5.06

-64.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 Rp 8,446

$0.56 MYR 2.27

-16.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.60 Rp 101.1K

$5.37 MYR 21.73

4.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$0.81 MYR 3.29

2.47%

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

$24.4K Rp 441.3M

$45.3K MYR 183.0K

-45.97%

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

$31.7K Rp 572.1M

$35.9K MYR 145.0K

-11.59%

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

$77.5 Rp 1.4M

$50.6 MYR 205

53.18%

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

$6.14 Rp 110.9K

$10.23 MYR 41.38

-39.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.92 Rp 341.4K

$28.43 MYR 115

-33.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 Rp 920.4K

$42.70 MYR 173

19.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.25 Rp 329.4K

$6.07 MYR 24.56

200.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 Rp 79.1K

$3.63 MYR 14.68

20.66%

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

$492 Rp 8.9M

$240 MYR 971

105.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K Rp 220.6M

$10.5K MYR 42.5K

16.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.16 Rp 815.1K

$54.3 MYR 220

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 Rp 629.7K

$40.23 MYR 163

-13.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$90.8 MYR 367

-13.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$79.9 MYR 323

-2.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 Rp 19.4M

$433 MYR 1,752

148.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 Rp 12.0M

$275 MYR 1,113

141.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 Rp 63.4M

$783 MYR 3,166

348.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 Rp 30.2M

$526 MYR 2,128

217.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,340 Rp 42.2M

$1,980 MYR 8,007

18.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,236 Rp 40.4M

$1,030 MYR 4,165

117.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$412 MYR 1,666

-59.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

4.17

230.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Tawau: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$665 50%

Tawau

$275 30% 58.6% $390

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$279 21%

Tawau

$262 28.5% 6.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Tawau

$119 13% 12.3% $13

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 8%

Tawau

$105 11.4% 1% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$103 7.7%

Tawau

$89 9.7% 13% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$60 4.5%

Tawau

$50 5.4% 16.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Tawau

$19 2.1% 57.7% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,078 in Ubud, Bali versus $433 in Tawau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Tawau are about 2.5 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 $35 in Ubud, Bali versus $20 in Tawau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $279 vs $262 – making Tawau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇲🇾 Tawau

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

420,806

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR

1 MYR = 0.247 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18,049 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.54 USD). 1 EUR = 20,271 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.93 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 4.04 MYR (1 MYR = 0.247 USD). 1 EUR = 4.54 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Tawau 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Tawau

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 Tawau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali costs about 45% more than Tawau, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,996 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,379 in Tawau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tawau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $433 there versus $1,078 in Ubud, Bali.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Ubud, Bali and $20 in Tawau. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,331 in Ubud, Bali and $920 in Tawau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.