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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $649 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,047 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,444 in Bengbu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 117% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$2.74 ¥18.51

25.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$21.93 ¥148

47.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$5.00 ¥33.81

-3.20%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.12 ¥21.10

-11.86%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.41 ¥2.79

236.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.26 ¥1.76

188.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$0.86 ¥5.84

247.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$2.03 ¥13.72

89.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$2.10 ¥14.22

-17.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$0.95 ¥6.43

158.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.69 ¥4.64

69.57%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.49 ¥10.09

63.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$8.96 ¥60.6

61.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$2.83 ¥19.11

53.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$8.79 ¥59.4

36.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.41 ¥9.51

163.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.02 ¥6.88

59.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.37 ¥9.24

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.71 ¥4.81

215.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.58 ¥3.95

231.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.55 ¥3.68

314.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.67 ¥4.50

58.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.43 ¥2.94

67.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$2.85 ¥19.23

15.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$5.82 ¥39.31

298.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.67 ¥4.50

314.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.36 ¥9.16

100.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$16.98 ¥115

-52.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.56 ¥10.57

-69.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.35 ¥2.38

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$8.55 ¥57.8

-27.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ¥7.92

-30.77%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$17.2K ¥116.3K

54.66%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$14.3K ¥96.5K

125.47%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$34.89 ¥236

124.56%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$4.94 ¥33.37

-17.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$8.35 ¥56.4

191.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$41.68 ¥282

136.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$14.14 ¥95.6

-55.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$5.63 ¥38.07

-29.13%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$410 ¥2,773

-25.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$18.7K ¥126.4K

-64.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$43.06 ¥291

25.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$33.08 ¥224

14.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$68.3 ¥462

27.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$84.6 ¥572

-9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$284 ¥1,917

249.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$188 ¥1,270

257.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$596 ¥4,027

466.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$354 ¥2,395

478.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$3,097 ¥20.9K

-9.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,913 ¥12.9K

16.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$653 ¥4,413

-74.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 11, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $284 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 291% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $157 per month, with Bengbu 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

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

Bengbu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 291% lower in Bengbu. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $284 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $410 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $649 in Bengbu versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bengbu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Bengbu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Bengbu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Bengbu 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 Bengbu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.