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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $733 in Changzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,214 in Changzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,695 in Changzhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 90% more expensive than in Changzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Changzhou is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.7K

$3.01 ¥20.18

11.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 682.4K

$28.60 ¥192

34.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.6K

$4.56 ¥30.62

21.05%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.8K

$2.11 ¥14.19

25.12%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.6K

$0.38 ¥2.57

339.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.23 ¥1.54

234.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.6K

$0.57 ¥3.84

361.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$1.45 ¥9.75

195.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.93 ¥12.94

-19.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.3K

$1.28 ¥8.57

73.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.9K

$0.96 ¥6.43

17.71%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.9K

$1.63 ¥10.91

28.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 307.6K

$7.53 ¥50.5

130.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.4K

$2.88 ¥19.36

34.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.9K

$12.37 ¥83.0

1.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.9K

$2.11 ¥14.16

71.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.6K

$1.73 ¥11.59

-9.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.6K

$2.05 ¥13.74

14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.4K

$1.09 ¥7.30

88.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.6K

$0.87 ¥5.83

118.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.3K

$0.93 ¥6.23

151.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.42 ¥2.79

145.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,809

$0.68 ¥4.59

-19.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.8K

$3.26 ¥21.84

-30.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 421.0K

$10.49 ¥70.4

126.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.9K

$0.93 ¥6.26

148.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.5K

$1.59 ¥10.67

76.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,816

$0.35 ¥2.32

-22.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 153.2K

$14.09 ¥94.5

-38.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,515

$1.47 ¥9.83

-67.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,887

$0.31 ¥2.09

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 101.1K

$2.86 ¥19.17

100.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.26 ¥8.47

-39.68%

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

$24.5K Rp 433.0M

$17.3K ¥115.9K

41.77%

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

$32.1K Rp 568.0M

$13.9K ¥93.5K

130.60%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$63.2 ¥424

32.26%

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

$6.46 Rp 114.2K

$8.63 ¥57.9

-25.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 335.9K

$10.42 ¥69.9

82.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 989.8K

$40.42 ¥271

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 329.2K

$15.00 ¥101

24.13%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.7K

$4.55 ¥30.55

-5.93%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$252 ¥1,691

93.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.6M

$14.9K ¥99.7K

-60.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 805.6K

$48.92 ¥328

-6.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 643.3K

$27.76 ¥186

31.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$73.1 ¥491

12.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$75.1 ¥504

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$284 ¥1,906

293.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$232 ¥1,555

202.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.5M

$918 ¥6,158

285.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.2M

$503 ¥3,378

250.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 50.0M

$2,950 ¥19.8K

-4.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.5M

$1,603 ¥10.8K

42.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$1,067 ¥7,157

-84.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.35

311.34%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Changzhou: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $284 in Changzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Changzhou pays 528% 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 $29.00 in Changzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $194 per month, with Changzhou 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 Changzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Changzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 90% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 528% lower in Changzhou. 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 $284 in Changzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Changzhou – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $733 in Changzhou versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Changzhou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Changzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Changzhou 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 Changzhou 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 Changzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 90% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.