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: $1,438 in Ubud, Bali versus $626 in Chaozhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $994 in Chaozhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,361 in Chaozhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 130% more expensive than Chaozhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 7% above, Chaozhou is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

$2.12 ¥14.55

68.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

$23.14 ¥158

40.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

$3.39 ¥23.21

49.56%

Cappuccino

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

$1.37 ¥9.36

106.57%

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

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

$0.47 ¥3.19

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

$0.27 ¥1.84

155.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

$1.12 ¥7.68

166.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

$2.76 ¥18.87

39.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

$1.78 ¥12.18

-2.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

$1.41 ¥9.69

80.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

$0.72 ¥4.94

65.28%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

$1.03 ¥7.04

135.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

$8.76 ¥60.0

67.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

$2.34 ¥16.01

78.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

$10.93 ¥74.9

9.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

$2.12 ¥14.50

74.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

$0.81 ¥5.55

98.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

$0.88 ¥6.02

205.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$1.70 ¥11.62

37.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

$0.59 ¥4.03

223.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

$0.43 ¥2.98

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

$0.44 ¥3.00

140.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

$0.27 ¥1.84

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

$2.73 ¥18.68

14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

$11.08 ¥75.9

112.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

$0.72 ¥4.94

280.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

$1.14 ¥7.81

152.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,029

$0.29 ¥2.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

$16.82 ¥115

-51.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.92 ¥6.30

-51.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,305

$0.26 ¥1.77

61.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

$6.60 ¥45.20

-6.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

$1.09 ¥7.43

-22.94%

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

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

$16.3K ¥111.4K

61.40%

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

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

$17.8K ¥122.1K

82.28%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$38.52 ¥264

103.58%

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

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

$4.10 ¥28.10

-3.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

$11.58 ¥79.3

110.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

$42.01 ¥288

129.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

$13.73 ¥94.1

-53.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

$6.02 ¥41.21

-32.89%

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

$303 Rp 5.2M

$463 ¥3,174

-34.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

$17.2K ¥117.6K

-62.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

$12.15 ¥83.2

343.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

$26.04 ¥178

45.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

$84.1 ¥576

3.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$55.0 ¥377

43.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

$282 ¥1,931

259.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$674 Rp 11.7M

$190 ¥1,300

255.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

$583 ¥3,992

481.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

$366 ¥2,507

473.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

$2,794 ¥19.1K

6.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

$1,976 ¥13.5K

18.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$173 Rp 3.0M

$468 ¥3,206

-63.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.56

273.03%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Last update for Chaozhou: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,012 in Ubud, Bali and $282 in Chaozhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaozhou pays 170% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Chaozhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $173 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 130% in total monthly costs ($1,438 vs $626 including rent). Chaozhou is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chaozhou earns 170% less. 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: $1,012 in Ubud, Bali versus $282 in Chaozhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $463 in Chaozhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $626 in Chaozhou versus $1,438 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 130% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.