Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Harbin

For one person, living is cheaper in Harbin: $1,166 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ubud, Bali outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Harbin
🇨🇳 China
$1,166
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Harbin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,353 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,166 in Harbin, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Harbin $1,166

A couple spends around $2,297 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,617 in Harbin, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Harbin $1,617

A family of three spends $3,241 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $2,069 in Harbin, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Harbin $2,069

Ubud, Bali costs about 16% more than Harbin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Ubud, Bali sits 0% above the global median, while Harbin is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$2.30 ¥15.36
40.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$22.57 ¥151
54.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$5.51 ¥36.87
3.45%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$2.94 ¥19.69
-10.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.47 ¥3.14
265.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.28 ¥1.89
189.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$0.85 ¥5.68
211.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$1.67 ¥11.18
161.68%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.99 ¥13.32
-21.11%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$2.01 ¥13.41
8.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.97 ¥6.49
21.65%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$1.38 ¥9.26
56.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$9.24 ¥61.8
91.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$2.56 ¥17.13
47.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$11.84 ¥79.2
0.93%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$1.62 ¥10.85
122.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$1.33 ¥8.90
19.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$1.22 ¥8.18
89.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$0.95 ¥6.37
101.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$0.54 ¥3.62
229.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$1.52 ¥10.18
53.29%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.47 ¥3.15
112.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.79 ¥5.28
-32.91%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$2.56 ¥17.14
-10.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$17.89 ¥120
23.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$0.58 ¥3.91
305.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$1.55 ¥10.35
92.26%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 Rp 4,112
$0.31 ¥2.08
-25.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.90 Rp 160.2K
$11.14 ¥74.5
-20.11%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$1.33 ¥8.89
-64.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.29 ¥1.94
48.28%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$3.65 ¥24.43
49.86%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$1.29 ¥8.65
-35.66%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$19.4K ¥129.6K
23.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$15.6K ¥104.2K
110.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$75.3 ¥503
6.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$14.46 ¥96.7
-54.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$12.39 ¥82.9
50.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$84.0 ¥562
-35.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$29.73 ¥199
-38.51%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$5.97 ¥39.90
-28.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$300 ¥2,004
64.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$10.4K ¥69.3K
-46.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$30.31 ¥203
50.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$30.23 ¥202
15.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$72.2 ¥483
7.63%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$302 ¥2,020
-74.01%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$327 ¥2,186
246.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$467 ¥3,121
44.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$1,337 ¥8,941
170.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$522 ¥3,492
225.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$3,220 ¥21.5K
-15.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,357 ¥9,074
65.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Harbin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$591 ¥3,949
-71.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.92
251.53%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Harbin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Harbin
$467 30.6% $206
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Harbin
$209 27.2% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Harbin
$196 83.7% $89
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Harbin
$81 24% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Harbin
$102 2.9% $3
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Harbin
$96 53.2% $33
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Harbin
$15 22% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $327 in Harbin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 255% higher in Harbin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali versus $23.00 in Harbin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $287 vs $209 – making Harbin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Harbin
🕒 Local time
01:49 1:49 AM
01:49 1:49 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
10,009,854
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Harbin 6,140 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Harbin

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 Harbin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Harbin?
Ubud, Bali costs about 16% more than Harbin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ubud, Bali and in Harbin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,030 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,748 in Harbin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ubud, Bali or Harbin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Harbin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do dining costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Harbin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Ubud, Bali and $23.00 in Harbin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Ubud, Bali compared to Harbin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,353 in Ubud, Bali and $1,166 in Harbin. That's a gap of about 16%.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Harbin?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Harbin, where all-in costs run around $1,166, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,353. In Harbin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Harbin?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Harbin costs $1,166 versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Harbin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Ubud, Bali or to Harbin?
If budget matters most, go with Harbin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ubud, Bali makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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