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: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $776 in Hefei.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,235 in Hefei.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,694 in Hefei.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 80% more expensive than in Hefei, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Hefei is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$2.46 ¥16.48

36.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$22.01 ¥148

75.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$4.51 ¥30.25

22.39%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$2.71 ¥18.13

-2.58%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.53 ¥3.53

215.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.29 ¥1.95

165.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.02 ¥6.81

157.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$2.05 ¥13.75

108.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.62 ¥10.85

-4.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.95 ¥13.04

13.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.80 ¥5.38

41.25%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.83 ¥12.25

14.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

$13.89 ¥93.1

25.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$4.91 ¥32.93

-21.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

$11.58 ¥77.6

8.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$2.22 ¥14.89

63.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.67 ¥11.19

-6.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.71 ¥11.46

37.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.53 ¥10.23

34.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.82 ¥5.52

131.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.92 ¥6.18

154.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.85 ¥5.68

21.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$0.70 ¥4.67

-21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$3.03 ¥20.29

-25.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$11.86 ¥79.5

100.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.92 ¥6.16

151.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.97 ¥13.19

42.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.29 ¥1.93

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$45.35 ¥304

-80.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.18 ¥7.87

-59.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.31 ¥2.11

45.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$3.47 ¥23.26

64.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.23 ¥8.27

-38.21%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

$19.2K ¥128.5K

27.71%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$16.7K ¥112.2K

91.80%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$49.41 ¥331

69.10%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$9.12 ¥61.1

-29.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$11.74 ¥78.7

61.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$15.74 ¥105

255.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$15.29 ¥102

21.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$6.20 ¥41.53

-30.97%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$244 ¥1,636

99.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$8,710 ¥58.4K

-32.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$89.8 ¥602

-49.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$32.55 ¥218

11.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$63.2 ¥424

29.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$94.8 ¥635

-15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$247 ¥1,655

352.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$182 ¥1,220

285.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$545 ¥3,654

548.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$334 ¥2,236

428.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$3,509 ¥23.5K

-19.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$1,939 ¥13.0K

18.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$1,014 ¥6,796

-83.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.15

337.46%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Hefei: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $247 in Hefei. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hefei pays 497% 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 Hefei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $231 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 80% 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, salaries run 497% lower in Hefei. 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 $247 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 $22.00 versus $39.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,396 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $776 in Hefei – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $776 in Hefei versus $1,396 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 $776 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 80% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.