Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Dongguan

For one person, living is cheaper in Dongguan: $815 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

66

Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Dongguan
Learn more

Dongguan Living Index

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Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,353

/mo nomad

Dongguan

🇨🇳 China

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Dongguan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Dongguan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $815 in Dongguan.

Ubud, Bali $1,353
Dongguan $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,295 in Dongguan.

Ubud, Bali $2,297
Dongguan $1,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,775 in Dongguan.

Ubud, Bali $3,241
Dongguan $1,775

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 66% more expensive than in Dongguan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Dongguan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 Rp 58.1K

$2.64 ¥17.64

22.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 Rp 627.8K

$22.83 ¥153

52.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 Rp 102.5K

$5.20 ¥34.75

9.62%

Cappuccino

$2.62 Rp 47.1K

$2.61 ¥17.44

0.38%

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

$1.72 Rp 31.0K

$0.48 ¥3.18

258.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$0.31 ¥2.09

161.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 47.7K

$0.88 ¥5.90

201.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 Rp 78.6K

$2.23 ¥14.88

95.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 Rp 28.3K

$1.59 ¥10.61

-1.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 Rp 39.5K

$1.63 ¥10.93

34.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 Rp 21.2K

$0.97 ¥6.50

21.65%

Eggs

$2.16 Rp 38.8K

$1.59 ¥10.66

35.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.65 Rp 317.7K

$21.14 ¥141

-16.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.78 Rp 68.0K

$3.28 ¥21.96

15.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 Rp 215.1K

$14.27 ¥95.4

-16.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 Rp 64.8K

$2.25 ¥15.03

60.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.6K

$1.56 ¥10.45

1.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.6K

$1.85 ¥12.39

24.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$1.49 ¥9.98

28.19%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 Rp 32.1K

$1.04 ¥6.95

71.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$1.24 ¥8.30

87.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$0.56 ¥3.75

78.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 Rp 9,509

$0.58 ¥3.90

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.29 Rp 41.1K

$4.45 ¥29.79

-48.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.07 Rp 397.3K

$12.18 ¥81.5

81.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 Rp 42.2K

$0.92 ¥6.17

155.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 Rp 53.6K

$1.76 ¥11.74

69.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 Rp 4,112

$0.35 ¥2.37

-34.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.90 Rp 160.2K

$22.38 ¥150

-60.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,466

$1.18 ¥7.86

-60.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,737

$0.41 ¥2.75

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.47 Rp 98.4K

$4.44 ¥29.68

23.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 Rp 14.9K

$1.31 ¥8.77

-36.64%

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

$23.9K Rp 429.8M

$19.3K ¥129.0K

23.72%

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

$32.8K Rp 590.1M

$17.6K ¥117.9K

85.86%

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

$80.0 Rp 1.4M

$63.1 ¥422

26.87%

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

$6.56 Rp 118.1K

$9.11 ¥60.9

-27.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.60 Rp 334.8K

$12.96 ¥86.7

43.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 Rp 974.1K

$51.6 ¥345

4.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.28 Rp 329.0K

$16.09 ¥108

13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.25 Rp 76.5K

$7.53 ¥50.3

-43.56%

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

$493 Rp 8.9M

$531 ¥3,550

-7.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,597 Rp 100.7M

$24.3K ¥162.8K

-77.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.58 Rp 820.4K

$46.78 ¥313

-2.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 Rp 629.4K

$40.30 ¥269

-13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 Rp 1.4M

$72.5 ¥485

7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 Rp 1.4M

$39.04 ¥261

101.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 Rp 20.4M

$380 ¥2,538

198.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$219 ¥1,461

207.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,613 Rp 65.0M

$662 ¥4,423

446.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,702 Rp 30.6M

$431 ¥2,884

294.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,717 Rp 48.9M

$5,650 ¥37.8K

-51.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,241 Rp 40.3M

$3,075 ¥20.6K

-27.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$166 Rp 3.0M

$856 ¥5,725

-80.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.35

311.34%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ubud, Bali

$673 49.7%

Dongguan

$219 26.8% 67.5% $454

Groceries & Markets

Ubud, Bali

$287 21.2%

Dongguan

$248 30.4% 13.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Ubud, Bali

$107 7.9%

Dongguan

$89 11% 16.1% $17

Eating Out

Ubud, Bali

$106 7.9%

Dongguan

$80 9.8% 24.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ubud, Bali

$105 7.8%

Dongguan

$85 10.5% 19.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Ubud, Bali

$63 4.6%

Dongguan

$67 8.2% 6.5% $4.1

Getting Around

Ubud, Bali

$12 0.9%

Dongguan

$27 3.3% 118% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $380 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 415% 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 $23.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $248 per month, with Dongguan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🇨🇳 Dongguan

🕒 Local time

00:12 12:12 AM

Same time as Ubud, Bali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,800

8,254,100

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ubud, Bali Dongguan 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ubud, Bali
Dongguan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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, clothing, and eating out. The 66% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 415% lower in Dongguan. 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: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $380 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 151% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $531 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $815 in Dongguan versus $1,353 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 66% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.