Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Jiaozuo

For one person, living is cheaper in Jiaozuo: $674 a month against $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,353
/mo nomad
Jiaozuo
🇨🇳 China
$674
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,353 in Ubud, Bali versus $674 in Jiaozuo.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,353
  • Jiaozuo $674

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,059 in Jiaozuo.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,297
  • Jiaozuo $1,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,241 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,445 in Jiaozuo.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,241
  • Jiaozuo $1,445

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 101% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Jiaozuo is 50% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.23 Rp 58.1K
$1.82 ¥12.16
77.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.88 Rp 627.8K
$16.41 ¥110
112.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.70 Rp 102.5K
$4.59 ¥30.70
24.18%
Cappuccino
$2.62 Rp 47.1K
$2.48 ¥16.57
5.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.72 Rp 31.0K
$0.42 ¥2.78
309.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 Rp 14.6K
$0.26 ¥1.72
211.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 47.7K
$0.85 ¥5.71
211.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.37 Rp 78.6K
$1.68 ¥11.22
160.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.68 ¥11.26
-6.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.19 Rp 39.5K
$1.58 ¥10.60
38.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$0.69 ¥4.60
71.01%
Eggs
$2.16 Rp 38.8K
$0.96 ¥6.40
125.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.65 Rp 317.7K
$8.43 ¥56.4
109.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.78 Rp 68.0K
$2.41 ¥16.11
56.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.95 Rp 215.1K
$8.26 ¥55.2
44.67%
Apples (1kg)
$3.60 Rp 64.8K
$1.18 ¥7.87
205.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 Rp 28.6K
$0.98 ¥6.59
62.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.31 Rp 41.6K
$0.63 ¥4.20
266.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.91 Rp 34.3K
$0.57 ¥3.83
235.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.78 Rp 32.1K
$0.53 ¥3.55
235.85%
Onion (1kg)
$2.33 Rp 41.9K
$0.47 ¥3.14
395.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 Rp 18.0K
$0.40 ¥2.66
150.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,509
$0.73 ¥4.86
-27.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.29 Rp 41.1K
$2.54 ¥17.00
-9.84%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.07 Rp 397.3K
$9.79 ¥65.5
125.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 Rp 42.2K
$0.68 ¥4.58
245.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 Rp 53.6K
$2.02 ¥13.50
47.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
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
$17.86 ¥119
-50.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.47 Rp 8,466
$1.53 ¥10.25
-69.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,737
$0.31 ¥2.10
38.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.47 Rp 98.4K
$3.66 ¥24.48
49.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.83 Rp 14.9K
$0.98 ¥6.53
-15.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.9K Rp 429.8M
$19.2K ¥128.3K
24.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.8K Rp 590.1M
$17.6K ¥117.4K
86.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$80.0 Rp 1.4M
$60.1 ¥402
33.14%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.56 Rp 118.1K
$7.17 ¥47.97
-8.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.60 Rp 334.8K
$9.16 ¥61.3
103.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.1 Rp 974.1K
$57.7 ¥386
-6.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.28 Rp 329.0K
$15.04 ¥101
21.54%
Cinema Ticket
$4.25 Rp 76.5K
$3.94 ¥26.37
7.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$177 ¥1,182
178.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,597 Rp 100.7M
$21.6K ¥144.2K
-74.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.58 Rp 820.4K
$43.93 ¥294
3.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.96 Rp 629.4K
$34.16 ¥228
2.34%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.7 Rp 1.4M
$73.3 ¥490
6.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.5 Rp 1.4M
$65.3 ¥437
20.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,131 Rp 20.4M
$296 ¥1,982
281.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$673 Rp 12.1M
$185 ¥1,238
263.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,613 Rp 65.0M
$622 ¥4,158
480.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,702 Rp 30.6M
$380 ¥2,541
347.74%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,717 Rp 48.9M
$2,585 ¥17.3K
5.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,965 ¥13.1K
14.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Jiaozuo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$166 Rp 3.0M
$566 ¥3,786
-70.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.29
318.84%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 19, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$673
Jiaozuo
$185 72.5% $488
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$287
Jiaozuo
$158 44.8% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$107
Jiaozuo
$97 8.5% $9.1
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$106
Jiaozuo
$68 35.8% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$105
Jiaozuo
$76 27.3% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$63
Jiaozuo
$66 4.7% $3
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$12
Jiaozuo
$22 78.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,131 in Ubud, Bali and $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 240% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $16.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $287 vs $158 per month, with Jiaozuo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Jiaozuo
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
02:02 2:02 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
3,539,860
💱 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 Jiaozuo 4,870 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Jiaozuo

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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jiaozuo cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 101% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Ubud, Bali or Jiaozuo?
On paper, salaries run 240% lower in Jiaozuo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Ubud, Bali and Jiaozuo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,131 in Ubud, Bali versus $296 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $177 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Jiaozuo?
Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Jiaozuo?
At $674 in Jiaozuo versus $1,353 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jiaozuo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Jiaozuo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Ubud, Bali or Jiaozuo more family-friendly?
For families, Jiaozuo 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.
Which city is safer, Ubud, Bali or Jiaozuo?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Jiaozuo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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