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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,397 in Ubud, Bali versus $697 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,588 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,083 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,778 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,469 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 100% more expensive than in Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Jiaozuo is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.43 Rp 61.4K

$1.70 ¥11.48

101.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.97 Rp 572.3K

$20.62 ¥139

55.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 Rp 90.4K

$5.59 ¥37.82

-9.66%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$2.62 ¥17.72

3.44%

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

$1.39 Rp 24.9K

$0.38 ¥2.59

265.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 Rp 13.3K

$0.35 ¥2.40

111.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 Rp 51.8K

$0.79 ¥5.33

265.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 67.9K

$2.15 ¥14.55

76.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 32.1K

$1.57 ¥10.59

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

$1.49 ¥10.07

68.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 21.7K

$0.66 ¥4.44

83.33%

Eggs

$2.37 Rp 42.4K

$1.02 ¥6.93

132.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.43 Rp 258.4K

$12.98 ¥87.8

11.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$2.33 ¥15.79

78.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.11 Rp 216.9K

$7.73 ¥52.3

56.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 Rp 67.5K

$1.73 ¥11.68

117.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.1K

$1.22 ¥8.24

33.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 Rp 48.5K

$0.58 ¥3.92

367.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 Rp 40.4K

$0.54 ¥3.65

318.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$0.73 ¥4.93

164.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 Rp 39.3K

$0.43 ¥2.92

409.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 18.2K

$0.37 ¥2.53

175.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.8K

$1.01 ¥6.85

-28.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 Rp 57.0K

$2.39 ¥16.15

33.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.84 Rp 426.8K

$9.88 ¥66.9

141.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 Rp 49.7K

$0.64 ¥4.34

332.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 Rp 49.3K

$2.92 ¥19.73

-5.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,785

$0.29 ¥1.99

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.20 Rp 146.7K

$16.73 ¥113

-50.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,653

$1.78 ¥12.02

-73.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,544

$0.33 ¥2.21

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.03 Rp 107.9K

$6.56 ¥44.39

-8.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$0.85 ¥5.74

-3.53%

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

$26.6K Rp 475.6M

$19.2K ¥130.0K

38.23%

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

$32.2K Rp 576.6M

$16.6K ¥112.5K

93.68%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.4M

$45.05 ¥305

73.70%

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

$3.91 Rp 70.0K

$11.72 ¥79.3

-66.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.91 Rp 428.2K

$11.58 ¥78.4

106.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$96.2 Rp 1.7M

$54.1 ¥366

77.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.53 Rp 116.8K

$14.03 ¥94.9

-53.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 71.8K

$3.67 ¥24.86

9.26%

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

$303 Rp 5.4M

$164 ¥1,109

84.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,551 Rp 117.3M

$16.9K ¥114.2K

-61.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 Rp 990.3K

$44.01 ¥298

25.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.32 Rp 686.1K

$30.64 ¥207

25.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 Rp 1.6M

$71.5 ¥484

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$73.8 ¥499

4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.6M

$280 ¥1,897

251.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 Rp 12.2M

$188 ¥1,270

263.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,420 Rp 61.2M

$603 ¥4,076

467.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,075 Rp 37.1M

$366 ¥2,479

466.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,762 Rp 49.5M

$2,526 ¥17.1K

9.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 Rp 40.2M

$1,915 ¥13.0K

17.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$169 Rp 3.0M

$563 ¥3,806

-70.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

5.01

165.07%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 22, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 233% 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 $21.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $178 per month, with Jiaozuo 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 Jiaozuo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jiaozuo is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 100% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 233% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $280 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $303 in Ubud, Bali versus $164 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $697 in Jiaozuo versus $1,397 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.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Jiaozuo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.