Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Changsha

For one person, living is cheaper in Changsha: $783 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Changsha, China
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Changsha
🇨🇳 China
$783
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Changsha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,349 in Ubud, Bali versus $783 in Changsha.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Changsha $783

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,305 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,282 in Changsha.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Changsha $1,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,261 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,780 in Changsha.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Changsha $1,780

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 72% more expensive than in Changsha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.3K
$2.96 ¥19.66
12.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 646.5K
$22.41 ¥149
59.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.4K
$4.90 ¥32.55
12.86%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.3K
$3.34 ¥22.20
-18.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.51 ¥3.38
233.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.27 ¥1.81
181.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.1K
$1.24 ¥8.23
113.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.5K
$1.90 ¥12.59
130.53%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.0K
$1.97 ¥13.07
-24.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.3K
$2.37 ¥15.75
-3.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$0.94 ¥6.27
26.60%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 36.9K
$1.72 ¥11.43
18.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.1K
$12.99 ¥86.3
36.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 71.9K
$4.10 ¥27.27
-3.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.1K
$11.65 ¥77.4
4.64%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.3K
$2.84 ¥18.88
28.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.5K
$1.39 ¥9.26
9.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.4K
$1.93 ¥12.81
15.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.8K
$2.02 ¥13.44
-2.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.5K
$0.96 ¥6.38
92.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.0K
$1.66 ¥11.02
45.78%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.65 ¥4.33
52.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,313
$0.49 ¥3.27
4.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.3K
$2.92 ¥19.38
-23.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 403.4K
$12.72 ¥84.5
74.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.0K
$1.03 ¥6.85
119.42%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 53.9K
$1.54 ¥10.25
92.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,553
$0.35 ¥2.34
-28.57%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 141.9K
$14.75 ¥98.0
-46.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,972
$1.48 ¥9.81
-70.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,801
$0.31 ¥2.09
38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.1K
$4.56 ¥30.27
18.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.26 ¥8.39
-34.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 432.4M
$19.9K ¥131.9K
20.06%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 575.9M
$17.8K ¥118.4K
78.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$56.1 ¥373
40.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.9K
$9.08 ¥60.3
-28.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.0K
$13.61 ¥90.4
36.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 897.5K
$54.8 ¥364
-9.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.1K
$24.80 ¥165
-28.83%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.5K
$6.54 ¥43.48
-34.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$326 ¥2,169
50.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 102.9M
$17.2K ¥114.1K
-66.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 809.7K
$84.4 ¥561
-47.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 634.0K
$34.62 ¥230
0.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.4M
$90.0 ¥598
-11.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$61.2 ¥406
29.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.4M
$266 ¥1,769
322.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$167 ¥1,109
302.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.7M
$559 ¥3,716
537.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$381 ¥2,532
352.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.5M
$2,482 ¥16.5K
10.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.4M
$1,414 ¥9,399
61.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Changsha
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$1,104 ¥7,337
-85.16%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.46
298.27%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Changsha: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Changsha
$167 75.1% $505
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Changsha
$237 17.8% $51
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Changsha
$92 15% $16
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Changsha
$122 13.1% $14
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Changsha
$79 24.3% $25
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Changsha
$68 17% $9.9
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Changsha
$19 68.3% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali and $266 in Changsha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changsha pays about 6.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36 in Ubud, Bali vs $22 in Changsha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $237 per month, with Changsha cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Changsha
🕒 Local time
13:07 1:07 PM
13:07 1:07 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
5,289,000
💱 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 Changsha 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Changsha

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 Changsha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ubud, Bali and in Changsha?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,349 in Ubud, Bali and $783 in Changsha, so Changsha is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Ubud, Bali. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Changsha?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $266 in Changsha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Changsha – a meal for two runs $22 versus $36 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Ubud, Bali or Changsha?
All in, you’ll spend $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $783 in Changsha – Changsha is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $783 in Changsha versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Changsha but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Changsha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ubud, Bali and Changsha?
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.

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