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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $735 in Foshan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,180 in Foshan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,625 in Foshan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 91% more expensive than in Foshan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Foshan is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$3.11 ¥21.00

10.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$22.61 ¥153

43.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$4.94 ¥33.37

-2.02%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$3.10 ¥20.97

-11.29%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.50 ¥3.35

176.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.30 ¥2.05

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$1.09 ¥7.37

174.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.64 ¥11.09

134.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.74 ¥11.78

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$2.02 ¥13.68

21.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$1.24 ¥8.38

-5.65%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.88 ¥12.67

29.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$13.04 ¥88.1

11.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$4.06 ¥27.40

7.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$13.55 ¥91.6

-11.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.82 ¥12.31

104.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.22 ¥8.21

33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.74 ¥11.77

57.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$1.39 ¥9.40

61.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$1.01 ¥6.81

90.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$1.06 ¥7.15

115.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.74 ¥4.99

43.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.56 ¥3.79

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.38 ¥22.82

-2.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$10.34 ¥69.9

124.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.97 ¥6.58

186.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.43 ¥9.69

90.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.29 ¥1.98

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$11.21 ¥75.7

-27.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.69 ¥11.42

-71.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.37 ¥2.53

13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$6.67 ¥45.06

-6.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.17 ¥7.92

-30.77%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$20.9K ¥141.0K

27.52%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$19.7K ¥133.1K

63.44%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$65.4 ¥442

19.76%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$10.19 ¥68.8

-60.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$13.17 ¥89.0

84.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$67.9 ¥459

45.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$19.83 ¥134

-68.03%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.39 ¥43.20

-37.56%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$415 ¥2,802

-26.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$18.4K ¥124.6K

-63.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$43.07 ¥291

25.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$28.15 ¥190

34.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$70.0 ¥473

24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$78.8 ¥533

-3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$281 ¥1,896

253.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$141 ¥956

375.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$572 ¥3,866

489.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$309 ¥2,090

562.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$4,243 ¥28.7K

-33.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,850 ¥12.5K

20.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$811 ¥5,478

-79.41%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Foshan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $281 in Foshan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foshan pays 386% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $23.00 in Foshan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $224 per month, with Foshan 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 Foshan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Foshan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 386% lower in Foshan. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $281 in Foshan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Foshan runs roughly 38% less than in Ubud, Bali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $415 in Foshan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $735 in Foshan versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Foshan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Foshan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Foshan 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 Foshan 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 Foshan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 91% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.