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: $1,192 in Shanghai versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,958 in Shanghai versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,724 in Shanghai versus $3,763 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 11% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.72 ¥31.92

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

36.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.92 ¥243

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.74 ¥38.75

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

18.60%

Cappuccino

$3.52 ¥23.76

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

28.00%

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

$0.57 ¥3.88

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

-58.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ¥2.25

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

-56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.36 ¥9.18

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

-54.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 ¥19.17

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

-26.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 ¥14.18

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

20.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 ¥12.13

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

-26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.05 ¥7.12

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

-10.26%

Eggs

$1.68 ¥11.33

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

-30.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.78 ¥107

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

8.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.17 ¥21.39

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

-27.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 ¥74.5

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

-8.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 ¥16.05

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

-36.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ¥11.45

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.78 ¥12.05

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

-35.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ¥9.82

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-35.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 ¥5.63

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

-56.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 ¥7.62

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

-50.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ¥4.56

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-35.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.60 ¥4.05

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 ¥19.03

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.74 ¥79.3

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

-49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ¥5.27

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-71.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 ¥10.62

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

-42.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 ¥2.74

$0.27 Rp 4,786

51.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 ¥237

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

332.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.26 ¥15.26

$0.48 Rp 8,675

370.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 ¥2.52

$0.42 Rp 7,545

-11.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.18 ¥55.3

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

31.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ¥7.79

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

41.98%

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

$19.3K ¥130.3K

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

-27.52%

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

$17.7K ¥119.8K

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

-44.94%

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

$53.0 ¥358

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

-32.33%

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

$8.77 ¥59.3

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

115.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.78 ¥93.1

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

-43.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.42 ¥307

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

-53.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.00 ¥135

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

215.46%

Cinema Ticket

$8.30 ¥56.1

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

108.02%

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

$1,264 ¥8,542

$305 Rp 5.5M

314.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K ¥214.0K

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

376.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 ¥390

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.93 ¥256

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

0.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ¥520

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.7 ¥654

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

26.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$955 ¥6,456

$992 Rp 17.8M

-3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$555 ¥3,749

$673 Rp 12.1M

-17.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 ¥16.9K

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

-26.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,207 ¥8,154

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

-41.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.3K ¥96.6K

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

409.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,625 ¥44.8K

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

197.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,702 ¥11.5K

$167 Rp 3.0M

919.26%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $955 in Shanghai and $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shanghai pays 919% 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 $32.00 in Ubud, Bali. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $297, 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,192 vs $1,408 including rent). Shanghai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 919% higher in Shanghai, 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: $955 in Shanghai versus $992 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,264 in Shanghai versus $305 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,192 in Shanghai versus $1,408 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 18% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.