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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,379 in Ubud, Bali versus $647 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,363 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,058 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,347 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,468 in Chaozhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 113% more expensive than in Chaozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Chaozhou is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.31 Rp 58.9K

$2.20 ¥14.74

50.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.08 Rp 694.5K

$23.26 ¥156

68.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.62 Rp 99.8K

$3.61 ¥24.23

55.68%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.9K

$1.45 ¥9.74

82.07%

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

$1.58 Rp 28.2K

$0.45 ¥3.04

251.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.6K

$0.31 ¥2.08

129.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 Rp 48.5K

$1.22 ¥8.16

123.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 Rp 76.8K

$2.95 ¥19.82

46.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 Rp 27.4K

$1.51 ¥10.13

1.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 40.8K

$1.51 ¥10.17

52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.03 Rp 18.3K

$0.77 ¥5.18

33.77%

Eggs

$2.12 Rp 37.7K

$1.15 ¥7.71

84.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.30 Rp 307.5K

$9.58 ¥64.4

80.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 Rp 71.6K

$2.53 ¥16.99

59.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.42 Rp 220.8K

$11.92 ¥80.0

4.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 Rp 65.7K

$2.19 ¥14.73

68.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$0.86 ¥5.79

88.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 40.3K

$0.85 ¥5.73

167.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 Rp 35.4K

$1.83 ¥12.27

8.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 Rp 32.5K

$0.61 ¥4.09

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.1K

$0.47 ¥3.15

378.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 Rp 18.6K

$0.44 ¥2.93

136.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 Rp 10.0K

$0.31 ¥2.11

80.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.22 Rp 39.5K

$3.01 ¥20.18

-26.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.22 Rp 412.7K

$11.30 ¥75.9

105.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 Rp 42.5K

$0.77 ¥5.20

210.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 Rp 51.1K

$1.16 ¥7.82

147.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,416

$0.29 ¥1.92

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.17 Rp 127.4K

$19.59 ¥132

-63.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,163

$0.93 ¥6.21

-50.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 Rp 8,235

$0.29 ¥1.92

58.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.70 Rp 101.2K

$6.91 ¥46.43

-17.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.6K

$1.17 ¥7.86

-35.04%

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

$24.6K Rp 436.7M

$19.0K ¥127.8K

29.10%

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

$31.0K Rp 551.5M

$17.2K ¥115.5K

80.42%

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

$82.2 Rp 1.5M

$42.76 ¥287

92.17%

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

$6.33 Rp 112.5K

$4.34 ¥29.13

45.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.54 Rp 329.6K

$11.23 ¥75.4

65.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.1 Rp 996.2K

$41.92 ¥282

33.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.41 Rp 327.2K

$14.97 ¥101

22.98%

Cinema Ticket

$4.26 Rp 75.8K

$6.40 ¥42.97

-33.44%

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

$489 Rp 8.7M

$488 ¥3,276

0.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,793 Rp 103.0M

$24.4K ¥163.8K

-76.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.98 Rp 817.3K

$12.98 ¥87.2

254.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.86 Rp 637.4K

$27.82 ¥187

28.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 Rp 1.4M

$88.5 ¥594

-10.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 Rp 1.4M

$58.5 ¥393

38.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 Rp 20.3M

$275 ¥1,849

315.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$692 Rp 12.3M

$178 ¥1,198

287.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,532 Rp 62.8M

$595 ¥3,999

493.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 Rp 30.4M

$375 ¥2,515

356.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,785 Rp 49.5M

$3,439 ¥23.1K

-19.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,261 Rp 40.2M

$1,960 ¥13.2K

15.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$480 ¥3,221

-64.69%

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: August 15, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,144 in Ubud, Bali and $275 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaozhou pays 183% 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 $23.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $181 per month, with Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Chaozhou differ by about 113% in total monthly costs ($1,379 vs $647 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 183% lower in Chaozhou. 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: $1,144 in Ubud, Bali versus $275 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $489 in Ubud, Bali versus $488 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $647 in Chaozhou versus $1,379 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chaozhou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Chaozhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Chaozhou 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 Chaozhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.