Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Shenzhen and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Shenzhen: $1,117 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Shenzhen
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Shenzhen Living Index
65

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

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Shenzhen

🇨🇳 China

$1,117

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Shenzhen and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,117 in Shenzhen versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Shenzhen $1,117
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,714 in Shenzhen versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Shenzhen $1,714
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,310 in Shenzhen versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Shenzhen $2,310
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Shenzhen costs roughly 17% less than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 ¥24.35

$3.32 Rp 60.4K

10.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.39 ¥196

$35.64 Rp 647.8K

-17.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 ¥35.17

$5.53 Rp 100.6K

-4.52%

Cappuccino

$3.36 ¥22.34

$2.72 Rp 49.4K

23.53%

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

$0.58 ¥3.84

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

-65.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ¥2.37

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 ¥9.82

$2.65 Rp 48.2K

-44.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 ¥14.26

$4.38 Rp 79.6K

-51.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 ¥10.22

$1.49 Rp 27.1K

3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ¥10.84

$2.28 Rp 41.4K

-28.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 ¥7.60

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

-4.20%

Eggs

$1.75 ¥11.63

$2.04 Rp 37.0K

-14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.74 ¥138

$17.70 Rp 321.7K

17.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.41 ¥22.71

$3.96 Rp 72.0K

-13.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.42 ¥96.0

$12.19 Rp 221.6K

18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 ¥14.96

$3.66 Rp 66.4K

-38.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ¥10.79

$1.52 Rp 27.6K

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 ¥12.88

$2.23 Rp 40.5K

-13.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 ¥9.47

$1.97 Rp 35.9K

-27.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 ¥7.20

$1.85 Rp 33.6K

-41.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 ¥8.52

$2.42 Rp 44.1K

-47.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 ¥3.97

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-39.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 ¥3.76

$0.51 Rp 9,332

9.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 ¥29.50

$2.22 Rp 40.4K

99.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 ¥80.4

$22.24 Rp 404.2K

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 ¥6.15

$2.26 Rp 41.1K

-59.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ¥12.15

$2.97 Rp 54.0K

-38.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 ¥2.90

$0.25 Rp 4,562

76.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.05 ¥120

$7.82 Rp 142.2K

130.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 ¥10.15

$0.44 Rp 7,989

247.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 ¥2.75

$0.43 Rp 7,817

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.36 ¥48.98

$5.41 Rp 98.3K

36.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 ¥8.77

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

60.98%

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

$19.2K ¥127.9K

$23.8K Rp 433.3M

-19.35%

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

$18.0K ¥120.1K

$31.7K Rp 577.0M

-43.16%

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

$64.8 ¥431

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

-18.07%

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

$9.90 ¥65.9

$6.45 Rp 117.2K

53.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.40 ¥109

$18.58 Rp 337.7K

-11.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.95 ¥326

$49.48 Rp 899.4K

-1.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.95 ¥113

$17.65 Rp 320.8K

-3.97%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 ¥48.44

$4.27 Rp 77.7K

70.49%

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

$537 ¥3,572

$491 Rp 8.9M

9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K ¥162.4K

$5,674 Rp 103.1M

330.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 ¥371

$44.64 Rp 811.4K

24.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.56 ¥270

$34.95 Rp 635.3K

16.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 ¥486

$79.9 Rp 1.5M

-8.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.9 ¥625

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$753 ¥5,010

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 ¥3,132

$671 Rp 12.2M

-29.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,847 ¥12.3K

$3,565 Rp 64.8M

-48.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ¥5,525

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-51.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K ¥87.8K

$2,732 Rp 49.6M

382.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,479 ¥43.1K

$2,284 Rp 41.5M

183.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,763 ¥11.7K

$164 Rp 3.0M

975.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.35

13.78

-75.69%

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

Last update for Shenzhen: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Shenzhen

$471 42.1%

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8% 42.7% $201

Groceries & Markets

Shenzhen

$249 22.3%

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4% 15.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Shenzhen

$118 10.6%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 9.2% $11

Eating Out

Shenzhen

$101 9%

Ubud, Bali

$108 8% 6.8% $6.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Shenzhen

$91 8.2%

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7% 14.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Shenzhen

$64 5.7%

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3% 8.6% $5.5

Getting Around

Shenzhen

$23 2.1%

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9% 51.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $753 in Shenzhen and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shenzhen pays about 11 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29 in Shenzhen vs $36 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $288 per month, with Shenzhen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Shenzhen

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

04:49 4:49 AM

Same time as Shenzhen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,528,300

74,800

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.135 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to CNY – Chinese Yuan Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇳 Chinese Yuan (¥)

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18,175 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,233 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to CNY in detail →

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Between locations

Shenzhen Ubud, Bali 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Shenzhen
Ubud, Bali

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

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

Shenzhen wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Shenzhen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Shenzhen is about 11 times higher, 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: $753 in Shenzhen versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ubud, Bali runs roughly 57% less than in Shenzhen. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $537 in Shenzhen versus $491 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Shenzhen is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.