Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Benxi

For one person, living is cheaper in Benxi: $692 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Benxi, China
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Benxi
🇨🇳 China
$692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $692 in Benxi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Benxi $692

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $991 in Benxi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Benxi $991

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,291 in Benxi, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Benxi $1,291

Ubud, Bali costs about 95% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$3.04 ¥20.19
9.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
$22.33 ¥148
59.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$5.31 ¥35.25
4.14%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$2.40 ¥15.98
13.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.51 ¥3.39
233.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.29 ¥1.89
162.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$0.73 ¥4.84
263.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$1.76 ¥11.69
148.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.85 ¥12.28
-19.46%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$1.22 ¥8.08
86.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.84 ¥5.60
41.67%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.60 ¥10.65
27.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
$10.00 ¥66.4
77.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$2.85 ¥18.92
38.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
$8.92 ¥59.3
36.66%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$1.62 ¥10.74
125.93%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.38 ¥9.17
10.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.62 ¥10.76
37.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$1.37 ¥9.12
43.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.58 ¥3.88
218.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.85 ¥12.26
30.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.61 ¥4.09
62.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,313
$0.69 ¥4.57
-26.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$2.97 ¥19.75
-25.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
$8.24 ¥54.7
169.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$0.58 ¥3.85
289.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$1.25 ¥8.30
137.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,553
$0.31 ¥2.09
-19.35%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
$12.21 ¥81.1
-35.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,972
$0.88 ¥5.84
-50.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$0.29 ¥1.91
48.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
$2.98 ¥19.82
81.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.13 ¥7.53
-27.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
$19.8K ¥131.7K
20.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
$18.0K ¥119.4K
76.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$54.4 ¥361
45.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
$6.70 ¥44.51
-3.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
$10.41 ¥69.2
78.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
$66.3 ¥441
-25.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
$8.31 ¥55.2
112.39%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$6.03 ¥40.08
-29.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$449 ¥2,985
9.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
$8,894 ¥59.1K
-36.21%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
$29.74 ¥198
50.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
$32.77 ¥218
6.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$60.2 ¥400
32.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$52.4 ¥348
51.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$137 ¥907
724.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$189 ¥1,259
254.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$258 ¥1,711
1284.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$153 ¥1,015
1027.89%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$3,371 ¥22.4K
-18.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$1,941 ¥12.9K
17.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Benxi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$447 ¥2,971
-63.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4
244.50%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Benxi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Benxi
$189 71.8% $482
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Benxi
$179 37.9% $109
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Benxi
$79 26.2% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Benxi
$79 26.7% $29
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Benxi
$71 31.3% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Benxi
$78 35.1% $20
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Benxi
$16 38.3% $4.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $137 in Benxi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Benxi are about 2.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $22 in Benxi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $179 – making Benxi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Benxi
🕒 Local time
13:23 1:23 PM
13:23 1:23 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
809,655
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.64 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.42 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Benxi 5,610 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Benxi

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
Ubud, Bali vs Benxi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Benxi?
Ubud, Bali costs about 95% more than Benxi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Benxi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,039 in Benxi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Benxi?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Benxi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $137 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Benxi?
Kindergarten costs $491 per month in Ubud, Bali and $449 in Benxi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Benxi?
Groceries cost about 61% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Can you live on $800/month in Ubud, Bali or in Benxi?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benxi, where all-in costs run around $692, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Benxi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Benxi – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Ubud, Bali vs other spots: cost of living compared

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