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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,209 in Shanghai versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,979 in Shanghai versus $2,540 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Shanghai versus $3,660 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Shanghai costs roughly 15% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Shanghai is 10% below, Ubud, Bali is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.90 ¥33.21

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

37.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.30 ¥246

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

10.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ¥37.88

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

12.93%

Cappuccino

$3.55 ¥24.06

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

31.00%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

-57.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.46

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

-48.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 ¥9.67

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

-51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ¥19.27

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

-28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 ¥14.62

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

19.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 ¥12.04

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

-29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 ¥7.43

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

-5.17%

Eggs

$1.69 ¥11.45

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

-31.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.30 ¥104

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.12 ¥21.15

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

-27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 ¥72.9

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 ¥15.31

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

-41.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 ¥11.33

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 ¥12.18

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

-36.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.53 ¥10.36

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

-34.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.81 ¥5.47

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

-57.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ¥7.53

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.62

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

-32.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

-28.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 ¥19.22

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

-14.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 ¥78.6

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

-51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.32

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

-71.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 ¥11.08

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

-42.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ¥2.94

$0.27 Rp 4,848

59.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.41 ¥233

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

328.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 ¥14.94

$0.46 Rp 8,230

380.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ¥2.56

$0.45 Rp 8,116

-15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 ¥56.7

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

37.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ¥7.72

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

44.30%

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

$19.5K ¥132.3K

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

-25.28%

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

$18.1K ¥122.9K

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

-43.49%

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

$52.8 ¥358

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

-33.94%

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

$8.53 ¥57.8

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

110.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.84 ¥93.7

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

-41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.02 ¥318

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

-52.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.81 ¥134

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

198.79%

Cinema Ticket

$8.46 ¥57.3

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

103.86%

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

$1,303 ¥8,823

$304 Rp 5.5M

328.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K ¥213.8K

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

377.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 ¥404

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.09 ¥258

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

-0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 ¥534

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

-11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.3 ¥672

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

27.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 ¥6,317

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

-7.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 ¥3,861

$675 Rp 12.2M

-15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 ¥16.9K

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

-27.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 ¥8,075

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

-41.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.0K ¥94.7K

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

392.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,729 ¥45.6K

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

197.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,689 ¥11.4K

$165 Rp 3.0M

921.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

13.28

-73.04%

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

Last update for Shanghai: June 2, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Shanghai and $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 922% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Shanghai vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $225 vs $302, with Shanghai cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Shanghai and Ubud, Bali differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($1,209 vs $1,419 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shanghai pays 922% 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: $933 in Shanghai versus $1,006 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,303 in Shanghai versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,209 in Shanghai versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shanghai but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Shanghai 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, Shanghai 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 Shanghai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.