Should you visit Bali or Kuala Lumpur?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Bali and Kuala Lumpur can help you decide which place is right for you.
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, often referred to as KL, is the cosmopolitan capital of Malaysia. It is also the largest city in the country, having grown out of a small Chinese mining village. Today Kuala Lumpur is a microcosm of the country of Malaysia. The population is split between the Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures which you can see reflected in the city's neighborhoods, cuisine, and entertainment. It's also an incredibly affordable city, even if you're looking for the comforts of a five star hotel or a luxury restaurant. Prices are almost always a fraction of what you would pay in Europe or the United States.
Which city is cheaper, Kuala Lumpur or Bali?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Bali is $65, while the average daily cost in Kuala Lumpur is $52. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Bali and Kuala Lumpur in more detail.
Accommodation
Bali's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $74. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $37.
For a normal double-occupancy room in Kuala Lumpur, $64 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Kuala Lumpur, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $32, such as in a hostel.
Food
Bali food costs typically run travelers around $18 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
The average traveler spends about $11 per day in Kuala Lumpur for food, but obviously this is dependent on the type of restaurant and the amount of food ordered. To save money you can grab a lighter lunch or dinner, or you can try fast food or street food.
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Food
Meals for one day
Bali $18
Kuala Lumpur $11
Typical Food prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
-
Coffee
$1.41
-
Lunch for Two
$15
-
Bali Cafe for Two
$31
-
Lunch for Two
$9.16
-
Lunch for 2
$10
-
Dinner for 2
$11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
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Seafood Dinner in Jimbaran Bali:
$4.59
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Bandung Street Food Tour:
$5.40
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Omah Kecebong Fun Outbound and Dinner Experience in Yogyakarta:
$11
-
Yogyakarta Historical Walking and Food Tour:
$13
-
Pirate Dinner Cruise by Sea Safari Cruise in Bali:
$13
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Online Cooking Class with Chef Juna by Kelas.com:
$18
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Cooking Class in Ubud:
$21
-
Indonesia Food Online Cooking Class by Masakonline:
$21
-
Cooking Class and Village Tour Experience at Bukit Lawang:
$21
-
Eat while chef is cooking in front of you:
$24
-
Jambangan Bali Cooking Class in Ubud:
$25
-
Visesa Cooking Class in Ubud :
$27
Typical Food prices in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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Bachelor's Pizza Co. at EPiC Food Hall:
$1.75
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
US PIZZA in Malaysia:
$3.70
-
Pizza Mansion in Klang Valley:
$19
-
Amazing Local Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur:
$29
-
Cooking Class With Garden Tours in Penang:
$38
-
Discover the Best Local Food Tour by Night in Kuala Lumpur:
$39
-
Local Evening Food Tour in Kuala Lumpur:
$40
-
Malaysian Ramadhan Buffet Dinner Cultural Show - nearby KLCC:
$40
-
Bayu Balau Beach Resort 2D1N Stay at Standard Room with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner:
$41
-
Kota Kinabalu City Night Tour with Seafood Dinner:
$43
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Bali is $8.21 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
To get around in Kuala Lumpur, the average visitor spends $5.48 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
Typical Local Transportation prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
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[PAYDAY PROMO] Private Transfer between Jakarta and Bogor:
$44
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Solo:
$204
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Semarang:
$176
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Purwokerto:
$260
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Malang:
$57
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Jogja:
$158
-
Surabaya Intercity Private Transfer to Cirebon:
$275
-
Shared City and Airport Transfers Between Juanda Airport (SUB), Surabaya, Malang, and Batu:
$7.49
-
Shared City Transfer to Singaraja :
$5.65
-
Raminten Cabaret Show in Yogyakarta with Transfers:
$11
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Private Transfer from Bali to Sitia (JSH) Airport:
$394
-
Private Transfer between Jakarta and Bandung:
$70
Typical Local Transportation prices in Kuala Lumpur
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Kuala Lumpur are as follows:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kuala Lumpur
Also for Kuala Lumpur, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Shared Bus Transfers for Senai International Airport (JHB):
$1.95
-
Private Transfer : Kuala Lumpur Attractions:
$7.84
-
Ferry Transfers between Langkawi and Penang by Super Fast Ferry:
$8.40
-
Ferry Transfers between Langkawi and Penang by Super Fast Ferry:
$8.40
-
Shared Boat Transfer Between Langkawi, Beras Basah, Dayung Bunting and Singa Besar Island:
$8.45
-
KL Bird Park Admission Ticket With One Way Transfer:
$8.49
-
Shared Bus Transfer between Cameron Highlands and Kuala Lumpur by Unititi Express:
$9.05
-
Kuala Lumpur International Airport Departure Transfer:
$10
-
Airport Transfer:
$11
-
Kuala Lumpur Shared Attraction Transfers:
$11
-
Upside Down House Gallery and Busquarium Tickets with Transfers in Langkawi:
$11
-
Kuala Lumpur Hotels to Sunway Lagoon Theme Park Transfer (1-way):
$12
Is it cheaper to fly into Bali or Kuala Lumpur?
Prices for flights to both Kuala Lumpur and Bali change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Entertainment
Bali's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $9.84 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
In Kuala Lumpur, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $12 per person, per day.
Typical Entertainment prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two
$61
-
Snorkelling Trip
$14
-
Cooking School
$32
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
-
2D1N Bromo and Ijen Crater Private Hiking Tour from Malang:
$93
-
Aristocrat Sailing Cruise Tour to Nusa Lembongan by Bali Hai Cruise:
$133
-
Best Rafting and Bali Bird Park Combo Experience in Bail:
$63
-
Borobudur Temple Tour:
$16
-
Elo River Rafting Experience by Citra Elo from Yogyakarta:
$42
-
FANPEKKA by Aeon Fantasy Ticket in Jakarta:
$6.49
-
Fast Boat Ticket between Sanur and Nusa Penida by The Angkal:
$5.19
-
Full Body Massage Experience at Bali Orchid Spa:
$18
-
Instagramable Kedung Pedut Waterfall and Borobudur Temple Tour:
$24
-
Nakamura Spa Experience in Jakarta, Tangerang, and Bekasi:
$11
-
Nusa Penida Tour from Bali :
$13
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Prambanan Temple Sunset Tour:
$14
Typical Entertainment prices in Kuala Lumpur
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Kuala Lumpur's activities, tours, and tickets:
Tours and Activities in Kuala Lumpur
For Kuala Lumpur, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
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Kidzooona Ticket in Sabah:
$1.69
-
The Sheep Sanctuary Admission Ticket at Cameron Highland:
$1.95
-
Kidzooona Ticket in Melaka:
$2.05
-
Kidzooona Ticket in Ipoh, Taiping and Kelantan:
$2.05
-
Kidzooona Ticket in Penang and Kedah:
$2.05
-
Musical Carousel & Jelly Bump Admission Ticket at The TOP Komtar:
$2.19
-
Kidzooona Ticket in Sarawak:
$2.35
-
Magic Art Museum Admission Ticket in Melaka:
$3.15
-
Penang 3D Trick Art Museum Admission Ticket:
$3.15
-
Urban Playz Admission Ticket in Penang:
$3.25
-
Melaka Crocodile and Recreation Park Ticket:
$3.49
-
White Water Rafting Adventure in Slim River :
$3.65
Alcohol
The average person spends about $2.90 on alcoholic beverages in Bali per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Typically, people visiting Kuala Lumpur spend on average $5.71 on alcoholic beverages per person, per day.
Sample the Local Flavors in Bali
Also in Bali, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
-
Sababay Winery Tour with Wine Tasting in Bali:
$13
Typical Alcohol prices in Kuala Lumpur
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Kuala Lumpur are as follows:
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Kuala Lumpur, we can see that Bali is more expensive. And not only is Kuala Lumpur much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Kuala Lumpur would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Kuala Lumpur and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bali would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bali than you might in Kuala Lumpur.
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