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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $671 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,053 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,435 in Bengbu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 108% more expensive than in Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$2.21 ¥14.85

52.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$10.26 ¥68.9

276.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$4.80 ¥32.21

15.00%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$3.13 ¥20.97

-15.65%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.43 ¥2.91

288.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.25 ¥1.68

208.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$1.48 ¥9.92

77.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$2.20 ¥14.79

94.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$2.17 ¥14.58

-28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.07 ¥7.19

107.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$0.72 ¥4.80

56.94%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.36 ¥9.13

53.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$10.50 ¥70.5

65.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$2.91 ¥19.53

32.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$9.10 ¥61.1

37.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$1.46 ¥9.78

147.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.06 ¥7.13

47.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$1.52 ¥10.20

54.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$0.70 ¥4.73

194.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.61 ¥4.08

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$0.62 ¥4.14

277.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.73 ¥4.89

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.46 ¥3.09

19.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$3.02 ¥20.26

-25.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$5.92 ¥39.71

302.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$0.76 ¥5.09

203.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.53 ¥10.27

83.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.31 ¥2.10

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$18.14 ¥122

-52.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.68 ¥11.25

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.35 ¥2.37

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$8.91 ¥59.8

-35.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.24 ¥8.35

-38.71%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$19.4K ¥130.0K

26.32%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$16.3K ¥109.5K

96.82%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$37.69 ¥253

121.68%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$5.35 ¥35.87

20.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$6.97 ¥46.79

172.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$40.49 ¥272

38.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$12.99 ¥87.2

43.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$6.02 ¥40.41

-28.90%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$417 ¥2,795

16.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$22.7K ¥152.4K

-74.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$43.03 ¥289

5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$33.55 ¥225

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$65.2 ¥438

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$85.9 ¥576

-6.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$287 ¥1,925

289.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$182 ¥1,218

286.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$568 ¥3,809

523.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$325 ¥2,181

442.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$3,366 ¥22.6K

-16.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$1,647 ¥11.1K

39.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$675 ¥4,528

-74.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.42

302.92%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $287 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 298% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $10.00 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $168 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, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 298% 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $287 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $417 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $671 in Bengbu versus $1,396 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 108% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.