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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $809 in Dalian.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,582 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,275 in Dalian.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,757 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,741 in Dalian.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 74% more expensive than Dalian, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Dalian is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.42 Rp 59.1K

$3.54 ¥24.20

-3.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 Rp 570.4K

$24.02 ¥164

37.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.08 Rp 87.9K

$4.72 ¥32.32

7.63%

Cappuccino

$2.82 Rp 48.9K

$3.01 ¥20.58

-6.31%

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

$1.37 Rp 23.7K

$0.48 ¥3.26

185.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.3K

$0.26 ¥1.79

173.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.97 Rp 51.3K

$0.87 ¥5.96

241.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 Rp 67.7K

$1.54 ¥10.57

153.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 Rp 30.2K

$1.59 ¥10.84

10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 43.5K

$1.51 ¥10.30

66.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.9K

$0.89 ¥6.05

35.96%

Eggs

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

$2.04 ¥13.93

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 250.8K

$19.26 ¥132

-24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 Rp 75.4K

$2.72 ¥18.59

60.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.05 Rp 208.4K

$10.22 ¥69.9

17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 Rp 66.1K

$1.24 ¥8.49

208.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.9K

$1.15 ¥7.85

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 Rp 46.8K

$1.30 ¥8.89

107.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 Rp 38.6K

$0.77 ¥5.26

189.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.8K

$0.73 ¥5.02

160.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 Rp 37.8K

$0.76 ¥5.20

186.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 17.8K

$0.73 ¥5.01

41.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.4K

$0.57 ¥3.87

35.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 55.1K

$3.39 ¥23.20

-6.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.23 Rp 401.9K

$17.18 ¥118

35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 Rp 49.3K

$0.79 ¥5.39

260.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 Rp 47.0K

$1.48 ¥10.09

83.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,056

$0.27 ¥1.83

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.43 Rp 145.8K

$27.83 ¥190

-69.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.49 Rp 8,400

$1.36 ¥9.27

-63.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,865

$0.42 ¥2.89

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.28 Rp 108.6K

$3.99 ¥27.26

57.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 14.7K

$1.19 ¥8.12

-28.57%

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

$26.1K Rp 450.9M

$18.2K ¥124.4K

43.29%

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

$31.5K Rp 545.5M

$15.7K ¥107.5K

100.56%

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

$79.8 Rp 1.4M

$43.98 ¥301

81.38%

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

$4.09 Rp 70.7K

$9.35 ¥63.9

-56.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.06 Rp 416.4K

$11.30 ¥77.3

112.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$36.47 ¥249

163.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 112.9K

$24.57 ¥168

-73.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 Rp 71.5K

$6.65 ¥45.46

-37.89%

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

$297 Rp 5.1M

$458 ¥3,131

-35.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,661 Rp 115.3M

$9,555 ¥65.4K

-30.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 Rp 950.9K

$55.2 ¥378

-0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.75 Rp 670.5K

$52.3 ¥357

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 Rp 1.6M

$105 ¥719

-14.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$93.1 ¥637

-15.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 Rp 17.6M

$356 ¥2,435

186.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$660 Rp 11.4M

$206 ¥1,409

220.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,435 Rp 59.4M

$640 ¥4,378

436.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,053 Rp 35.5M

$358 ¥2,447

474.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,981 Rp 51.6M

$2,732 ¥18.7K

9.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 Rp 41.0M

$1,592 ¥10.9K

48.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$172 Rp 3.0M

$1,086 ¥7,431

-84.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.18

217.70%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 21, 2026

Last update for Dalian: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,018 in Ubud, Bali and $356 in Dalian. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dalian pays 531% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $24 in Dalian for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $221 per month, with Dalian 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 Dalian: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ubud, Bali and Dalian differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,408 vs $809 including rent). Dalian is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dalian earns 531% 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: $1,018 in Ubud, Bali versus $356 in Dalian. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $297 in Ubud, Bali versus $458 in Dalian. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $809 in Dalian versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dalian but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Dalian 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 Dalian 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 Dalian gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.