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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $735 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,184 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,634 in Hefei.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 93% more expensive than Hefei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Hefei is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$3.44 ¥23.30

3.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$16.83 ¥114

94.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.15 ¥28.08

19.28%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.35 ¥15.89

15.32%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.47 ¥3.19

185.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.23 ¥1.56

204.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$0.82 ¥5.58

256.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.11 ¥14.29

87.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$1.69 ¥11.43

7.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$1.61 ¥10.91

56.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$1.20 ¥8.11

-3.33%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.91 ¥12.93

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$8.60 ¥58.2

71.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$4.07 ¥27.57

6.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$9.92 ¥67.1

22.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$1.80 ¥12.16

113.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$0.82 ¥5.57

90.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.28 ¥8.63

121.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$0.83 ¥5.59

180.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.60 ¥4.09

218.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.49 ¥3.29

348.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.53 ¥3.59

90.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.56 ¥3.76

39.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$2.81 ¥19.01

18.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$9.50 ¥64.3

149.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.72 ¥4.86

287.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.64 ¥11.13

74.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.33 ¥2.25

-18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$41.14 ¥278

-80.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.34 ¥9.08

-65.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.26 ¥1.74

73.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$2.54 ¥17.21

140.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.15 ¥7.81

-31.30%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$19.6K ¥132.4K

33.71%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$19.2K ¥129.7K

67.60%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$40.99 ¥277

95.02%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$12.86 ¥87.1

-68.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$13.70 ¥92.7

71.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$82.8 ¥561

19.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$12.49 ¥84.6

-46.92%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$5.81 ¥39.33

-28.57%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$257 ¥1,742

18.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$8,920 ¥60.4K

-25.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$57.9 ¥392

-3.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$30.23 ¥205

26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$60.9 ¥412

45.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.5 ¥504

4.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$229 ¥1,547

340.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$180 ¥1,220

274.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$484 ¥3,276

611.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$366 ¥2,479

456.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$3,744 ¥25.3K

-24.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$2,044 ¥13.8K

10.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$962 ¥6,512

-82.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.37

203.89%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hefei: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $229 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 482% 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 $17.00 in Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $182 per month, with Hefei 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 Hefei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hefei wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hefei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Hefei earns 482% 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 $229 in Hefei. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Hefei – a meal for two runs $17.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $735 in Hefei – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $735 in Hefei versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Hefei but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Hefei the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hefei delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $735 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hefei hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Hefei 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 Hefei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.