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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $657 in Bengbu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,050 in Bengbu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,443 in Bengbu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 112% more expensive than Bengbu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Bengbu is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$2.84 ¥19.40

22.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 564.0K

$22.65 ¥155

45.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.3K

$4.85 ¥33.12

4.95%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$3.11 ¥21.26

-11.58%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.45 ¥3.05

206.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.24 ¥1.63

195.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.4K

$0.80 ¥5.47

260.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.4K

$2.15 ¥14.70

80.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$2.06 ¥14.07

-13.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 42.0K

$1.01 ¥6.92

142.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.67 ¥4.54

80.60%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$1.49 ¥10.20

60.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 252.1K

$9.31 ¥63.6

57.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$2.84 ¥19.36

49.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 207.1K

$9.18 ¥62.7

31.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.9K

$1.36 ¥9.32

169.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.6K

$1.01 ¥6.88

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$1.36 ¥9.32

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 39.0K

$0.71 ¥4.85

219.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.58 ¥3.93

227.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$0.58 ¥3.98

296.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.71 ¥4.85

43.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.4K

$0.44 ¥2.99

77.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.7K

$2.82 ¥19.26

14.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.7K

$6.03 ¥41.16

299.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$0.71 ¥4.87

300.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$1.35 ¥9.21

106.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,610

$0.29 ¥1.99

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.4K

$16.96 ¥116

-51.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,708

$1.49 ¥10.17

-69.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,305

$0.33 ¥2.22

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.3K

$8.23 ¥56.2

-26.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$1.18 ¥8.05

-27.12%

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

$26.1K Rp 447.1M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

52.16%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.7M

$14.2K ¥97.0K

123.15%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$34.29 ¥234

128.46%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$4.94 ¥33.73

-19.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.7K

$8.48 ¥57.9

187.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$42.48 ¥290

125.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.7K

$14.01 ¥95.7

-53.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$5.65 ¥38.59

-29.03%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$411 ¥2,807

-26.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.3M

$18.2K ¥124.2K

-64.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 916.3K

$43.09 ¥294

23.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 661.2K

$32.50 ¥222

18.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$67.2 ¥459

32.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$82.1 ¥561

-3.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$282 ¥1,929

259.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$184 ¥1,256

265.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.8M

$593 ¥4,053

467.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.2M

$360 ¥2,459

485.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.5M

$3,185 ¥21.8K

-5.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.1M

$1,807 ¥12.3K

29.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$660 ¥4,508

-73.11%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Bengbu: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Bengbu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bengbu pays 272% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $23 in Bengbu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $160 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 112% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Bengbu earns 272% less. 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Bengbu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $411 in Bengbu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $657 in Bengbu versus $1,395 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 112% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.