Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Dalian and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $809 in Dalian versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,275 in Dalian versus $2,582 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,741 in Dalian versus $3,757 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Dalian costs roughly 43% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dalian is 40% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.54 ¥24.20

$3.42 Rp 59.1K

3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.02 ¥164

$32.96 Rp 570.4K

-27.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 ¥32.32

$5.08 Rp 87.9K

-7.09%

Cappuccino

$3.01 ¥20.58

$2.82 Rp 48.9K

6.74%

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

$0.48 ¥3.26

$1.37 Rp 23.7K

-64.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.79

$0.71 Rp 12.3K

-63.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 ¥5.96

$2.97 Rp 51.3K

-70.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ¥10.57

$3.91 Rp 67.7K

-60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 ¥10.84

$1.75 Rp 30.2K

-9.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 ¥10.30

$2.52 Rp 43.5K

-40.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 ¥6.05

$1.21 Rp 20.9K

-26.45%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥13.93

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.26 ¥132

$14.50 Rp 250.8K

32.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.72 ¥18.59

$4.36 Rp 75.4K

-37.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 ¥69.9

$12.05 Rp 208.4K

-15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.24 ¥8.49

$3.82 Rp 66.1K

-67.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 ¥7.85

$1.61 Rp 27.9K

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 ¥8.89

$2.70 Rp 46.8K

-51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 ¥5.26

$2.23 Rp 38.6K

-65.47%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 ¥5.02

$1.90 Rp 32.8K

-61.58%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 ¥5.20

$2.18 Rp 37.8K

-65.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 ¥5.01

$1.03 Rp 17.8K

-29.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 ¥3.87

$0.77 Rp 13.4K

-25.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 ¥23.20

$3.18 Rp 55.1K

6.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.18 ¥118

$23.23 Rp 401.9K

-26.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.39

$2.85 Rp 49.3K

-72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ¥10.09

$2.72 Rp 47.0K

-45.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 ¥1.83

$0.29 Rp 5,056

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.83 ¥190

$8.43 Rp 145.8K

230.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.36 ¥9.27

$0.49 Rp 8,400

177.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 ¥2.89

$0.45 Rp 7,865

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 ¥27.26

$6.28 Rp 108.6K

-36.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥8.12

$0.85 Rp 14.7K

40.00%

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

$18.2K ¥124.4K

$26.1K Rp 450.9M

-30.21%

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

$15.7K ¥107.5K

$31.5K Rp 545.5M

-50.14%

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

$43.98 ¥301

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

-44.87%

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

$9.35 ¥63.9

$4.09 Rp 70.7K

128.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.30 ¥77.3

$24.06 Rp 416.4K

-53.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.47 ¥249

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

-62.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.57 ¥168

$6.53 Rp 112.9K

276.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 ¥45.46

$4.13 Rp 71.5K

61.02%

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

$458 ¥3,131

$297 Rp 5.1M

54.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,555 ¥65.4K

$6,661 Rp 115.3M

43.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.2 ¥378

$55.0 Rp 950.9K

0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 ¥357

$38.75 Rp 670.5K

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 ¥719

$89.6 Rp 1.6M

17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 ¥637

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 ¥2,435

$1,018 Rp 17.6M

-65.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 ¥1,409

$660 Rp 11.4M

-68.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 ¥4,378

$3,435 Rp 59.4M

-81.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$358 ¥2,447

$2,053 Rp 35.5M

-82.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,732 ¥18.7K

$2,981 Rp 51.6M

-8.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,592 ¥10.9K

$2,368 Rp 41.0M

-32.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,086 ¥7,431

$172 Rp 3.0M

531.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

13.28

-68.52%

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

Last update for Dalian: April 22, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $356 in Dalian and $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 531% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $24 in Dalian vs $33 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $221 vs $299 per month, with Dalian 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

Dalian vs Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dalian and Ubud, Bali differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($809 vs $1,408 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dalian pays 531% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $356 in Dalian versus $1,018 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $458 in Dalian versus $297 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Dalian versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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, Dalian and Ubud, Bali 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.