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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $720 in Cixi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,148 in Cixi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,575 in Cixi.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 94% more expensive than in Cixi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Cixi is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$2.77 ¥18.56

21.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.4K

$21.83 ¥146

76.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$4.94 ¥33.13

11.74%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$3.04 ¥20.38

-13.16%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.47 ¥3.12

255.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.29 ¥1.94

165.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$0.92 ¥6.17

185.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.04 ¥13.64

109.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.80 ¥12.08

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.61 ¥10.81

37.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.98 ¥6.53

15.31%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.55 ¥10.39

34.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.7K

$13.07 ¥87.6

33.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$3.23 ¥21.66

19.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.3K

$10.31 ¥69.1

21.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.86 ¥12.48

94.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.24 ¥8.31

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.48 ¥9.93

58.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.15 ¥7.68

79.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.69 ¥4.62

175.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.95 ¥6.35

146.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.60 ¥4.04

71.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,781

$0.54 ¥3.62

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$3.06 ¥20.52

-26.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.8K

$10.38 ¥69.6

129.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.75 ¥5.02

208.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.59 ¥10.67

76.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,803

$0.29 ¥1.94

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$16.73 ¥112

-48.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,490

$1.43 ¥9.56

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.35 ¥2.36

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$6.81 ¥45.63

-16.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.13 ¥7.59

-32.74%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.7M

$19.8K ¥132.4K

23.92%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.4M

$17.0K ¥114.2K

88.45%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$44.83 ¥300

86.37%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$9.83 ¥65.9

-34.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.9K

$11.49 ¥77.0

65.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 987.0K

$41.23 ¥276

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.3K

$14.17 ¥95.0

31.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$6.00 ¥40.21

-28.67%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$338 ¥2,262

44.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.3M

$16.6K ¥111.4K

-64.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.3K

$44.22 ¥296

3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.5K

$30.25 ¥203

20.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$72.9 ¥489

12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$71.1 ¥477

13.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$278 ¥1,864

301.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$191 ¥1,281

266.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$600 ¥4,020

489.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$359 ¥2,403

391.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$3,044 ¥20.4K

-7.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$2,030 ¥13.6K

12.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.89

254.24%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Cixi: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $278 in Cixi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Cixi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $200 per month, with Cixi 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 Cixi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cixi wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cixi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,095 in Ubud, Bali and $1,080 in Cixi 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $278 in Cixi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $338 in Cixi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $720 in Cixi versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cixi but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Cixi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cixi delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $720 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cixi hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Cixi 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 Cixi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.