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: $1,374 in Ubud, Bali versus $642 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,313 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,041 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,252 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,439 in Chaozhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 114% more expensive than in Chaozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Chaozhou is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 59.5K

$2.26 ¥15.13

46.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.33 Rp 632.1K

$23.83 ¥160

48.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.33 Rp 95.4K

$3.61 ¥24.18

47.65%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$1.47 ¥9.85

87.07%

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

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

$0.45 ¥3.02

284.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 Rp 14.3K

$0.29 ¥1.92

175.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.7K

$1.21 ¥8.12

143.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 Rp 79.4K

$2.97 ¥19.94

49.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 Rp 26.8K

$1.45 ¥9.70

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 Rp 41.1K

$1.51 ¥10.09

52.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.10 Rp 19.7K

$0.74 ¥4.94

48.65%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.6K

$1.15 ¥7.69

87.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 Rp 305.7K

$9.65 ¥64.7

77.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 Rp 69.4K

$2.53 ¥16.94

53.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.92 Rp 213.2K

$12.11 ¥81.2

-1.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 Rp 63.8K

$2.28 ¥15.32

56.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 Rp 28.3K

$0.85 ¥5.68

85.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.36 Rp 42.2K

$0.90 ¥6.04

162.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.2K

$1.83 ¥12.27

7.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$0.61 ¥4.10

196.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 Rp 42.8K

$0.46 ¥3.11

419.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$0.44 ¥2.95

131.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.49 Rp 8,792

$0.29 ¥1.92

68.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 40.2K

$3.03 ¥20.33

-25.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.30 Rp 399.0K

$11.39 ¥76.3

95.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$0.74 ¥4.94

220.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 Rp 51.8K

$1.16 ¥7.75

150.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 Rp 4,457

$0.31 ¥2.10

-19.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.55 Rp 153.0K

$18.66 ¥125

-54.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.44 Rp 7,906

$0.93 ¥6.27

-52.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,556

$0.29 ¥1.94

44.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.66 Rp 101.3K

$7.13 ¥47.80

-20.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ¥7.84

-30.77%

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

$23.7K Rp 424.7M

$19.4K ¥130.4K

22.06%

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

$31.0K Rp 554.3M

$17.7K ¥118.4K

75.40%

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

$82.3 Rp 1.5M

$44.02 ¥295

87.01%

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

$6.30 Rp 112.7K

$4.22 ¥28.28

49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.63 Rp 333.4K

$11.21 ¥75.2

66.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.7 Rp 979.2K

$41.19 ¥276

32.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 Rp 330.1K

$14.58 ¥97.7

26.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 Rp 75.8K

$6.45 ¥43.25

-34.26%

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

$484 Rp 8.7M

$496 ¥3,326

-2.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,590 Rp 100.0M

$24.3K ¥163.1K

-77.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.77 Rp 818.9K

$13.19 ¥88.4

247.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.69 Rp 638.6K

$27.68 ¥186

28.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$90.7 ¥608

-13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 Rp 1.4M

$58.6 ¥393

36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 Rp 20.5M

$283 ¥1,896

305.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$678 Rp 12.1M

$185 ¥1,242

266.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 Rp 62.7M

$613 ¥4,111

471.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 Rp 30.2M

$372 ¥2,491

354.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,788 Rp 49.9M

$3,103 ¥20.8K

-10.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 Rp 40.4M

$1,944 ¥13.0K

16.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$494 ¥3,309

-66.56%

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: September 28, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,147 in Ubud, Bali and $283 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaozhou pays 199% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $24.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 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 114% in total monthly costs ($1,374 vs $642 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 199% 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: $1,147 in Ubud, Bali versus $283 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $484 in Ubud, Bali versus $496 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $642 in Chaozhou versus $1,374 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 114% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.