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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $762 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,183 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,605 in Dongguan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 86% more expensive than Dongguan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Dongguan is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.46 ¥16.65

44.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$20.48 ¥138

59.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$4.35 ¥29.40

13.79%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$2.71 ¥18.35

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.44 ¥3.01

204.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.29 ¥1.97

141.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.12 ¥7.60

160.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.18 ¥14.73

81.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$1.71 ¥11.54

5.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.45 ¥9.78

73.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$0.97 ¥6.55

19.59%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.80 ¥12.18

36.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$13.01 ¥88.0

13.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$3.93 ¥26.60

9.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$11.39 ¥77.0

6.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.83 ¥12.35

109.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$1.46 ¥9.85

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.81 ¥12.22

56.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.36 ¥9.17

71.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$1.01 ¥6.82

89.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$1.46 ¥9.86

50.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$0.65 ¥4.41

55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.55 ¥3.73

41.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.82 ¥19.09

17.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$14.55 ¥98.4

63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$0.89 ¥6.04

213.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.86 ¥12.55

53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$21.18 ¥143

-62.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.28 ¥8.63

-64.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.35 ¥2.34

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$5.43 ¥36.73

12.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.16 ¥7.86

-31.90%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$20.8K ¥140.5K

25.87%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$20.5K ¥138.5K

56.81%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$62.1 ¥420

28.69%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$8.36 ¥56.5

-51.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$12.32 ¥83.3

90.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$60.5 ¥409

63.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$13.24 ¥89.5

-49.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.87 ¥46.45

-39.59%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$451 ¥3,050

-32.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$20.5K ¥138.9K

-67.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$29.57 ¥200

87.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$24.49 ¥166

56.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$61.9 ¥418

43.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$37.57 ¥254

107.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$361 ¥2,442

178.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$216 ¥1,458

213.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$691 ¥4,674

397.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$406 ¥2,745

402.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$5,711 ¥38.6K

-50.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$3,110 ¥21.0K

-27.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$836 ¥5,653

-80.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.04

228.71%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $361 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 406% 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 $20.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $220 per month, with Dongguan 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 Dongguan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dongguan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 86% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Dongguan earns 406% 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: $1,006 in Ubud, Bali versus $361 in Dongguan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Dongguan runs roughly 164% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $304 in Ubud, Bali versus $451 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $762 in Dongguan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Dongguan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Dongguan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Dongguan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ubud, Bali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Dongguan 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 Dongguan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.