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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $805 in Dongguan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,260 in Dongguan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,716 in Dongguan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 73% more expensive than in Dongguan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Dongguan is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$2.17 ¥14.53

55.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$22.45 ¥150

71.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$5.17 ¥34.62

6.77%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.52 ¥16.87

4.76%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.51 ¥3.43

227.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.29 ¥1.93

165.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$0.89 ¥5.94

195.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.19 ¥14.70

95.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.55 ¥10.36

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.68 ¥11.28

32.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.95 ¥6.40

18.95%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.67 ¥11.18

25.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

$20.69 ¥139

-15.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$3.59 ¥24.04

7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

$14.66 ¥98.2

-14.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.21 ¥14.78

63.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.59 ¥10.68

-1.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.86 ¥12.44

26.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.42 ¥9.53

45.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$1.21 ¥8.12

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$1.47 ¥9.84

59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.55 ¥3.68

87.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$0.54 ¥3.59

1.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$4.50 ¥30.14

-50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$12.28 ¥82.3

93.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.91 ¥6.07

153.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.83 ¥12.23

53.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.38 ¥2.57

-28.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$22.70 ¥152

-61.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.21 ¥8.10

-60.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.40 ¥2.69

12.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$4.59 ¥30.77

24.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.22 ¥8.19

-37.70%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

$19.5K ¥130.4K

25.79%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$18.2K ¥122.0K

76.43%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$63.1 ¥423

32.32%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$9.28 ¥62.2

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$12.74 ¥85.4

49.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$51.7 ¥347

8.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$16.26 ¥109

14.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$7.59 ¥50.9

-43.61%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$529 ¥3,542

-7.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$23.6K ¥157.9K

-75.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$31.53 ¥211

44.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$39.51 ¥265

-7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$69.1 ¥463

18.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$40.86 ¥274

96.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$374 ¥2,508

198.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$221 ¥1,479

217.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$656 ¥4,396

439.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$419 ¥2,809

320.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$5,558 ¥37.2K

-49.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$3,047 ¥20.4K

-24.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$844 ¥5,656

-79.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.4

305.29%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Dongguan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $374 in Dongguan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dongguan pays 397% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $22.00 in Dongguan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $250 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, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 73% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 397% 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $374 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 162% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $529 in Dongguan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $805 in Dongguan versus $1,396 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 73% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.