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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $709 in Changshu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,130 in Changshu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,551 in Changshu.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 100% more expensive than Changshu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Changshu is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.3K

$2.81 ¥19.05

26.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 590.3K

$21.75 ¥147

50.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$4.91 ¥33.29

0.81%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$3.07 ¥20.77

-11.73%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.44 ¥2.96

204.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.27 ¥1.81

159.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.7K

$0.87 ¥5.90

235.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.4K

$2.05 ¥13.86

93.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.88 ¥12.77

-3.72%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.4K

$1.56 ¥10.53

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.95 ¥6.40

22.11%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.4K

$1.55 ¥10.47

58.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.3K

$12.87 ¥87.2

14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.9K

$3.22 ¥21.79

34.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.9K

$10.32 ¥69.9

17.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.3K

$1.80 ¥12.16

113.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.22 ¥8.24

27.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$1.49 ¥10.06

89.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.10 ¥7.47

111.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.74 ¥5.00

158.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$0.96 ¥6.50

129.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.56 ¥3.80

80.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$0.55 ¥3.76

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.8K

$3.15 ¥21.33

5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 428.0K

$10.59 ¥71.8

124.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.79 ¥5.32

253.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$1.57 ¥10.66

82.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,848

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.8K

$16.75 ¥113

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,230

$1.43 ¥9.69

-67.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,116

$0.33 ¥2.21

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.9K

$6.85 ¥46.42

-10.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$1.12 ¥7.62

-29.46%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.6M

$19.6K ¥132.4K

33.73%

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

$32.1K Rp 579.2M

$17.3K ¥117.3K

85.44%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$44.27 ¥300

80.57%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.3K

$9.92 ¥67.2

-59.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 424.1K

$11.49 ¥77.8

104.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$41.00 ¥278

140.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.6K

$13.92 ¥94.3

-52.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.8K

$6.04 ¥40.91

-31.29%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$335 ¥2,268

-9.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.3M

$17.1K ¥116.1K

-61.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$43.70 ¥296

27.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.9K

$30.70 ¥208

24.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$72.3 ¥490

22.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$72.2 ¥489

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$274 ¥1,854

267.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$196 ¥1,327

244.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.1M

$602 ¥4,079

471.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.8M

$366 ¥2,478

457.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$3,045 ¥20.6K

-6.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$2,017 ¥13.7K

12.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.89

241.39%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Changshu: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $274 in Changshu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Changshu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $199 per month, with Changshu 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 Changshu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changshu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,129 in Ubud, Bali and $1,064 in Changshu to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $274 in Changshu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Changshu – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $709 in Changshu – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $709 in Changshu versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changshu but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Changshu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changshu 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 Changshu 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 Changshu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.