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: $1,395 in Ubud, Bali versus $681 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,083 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,724 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,485 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 105% more expensive than Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Jiaozuo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.48 Rp 59.7K

$1.77 ¥12.12

96.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.88 Rp 563.4K

$20.72 ¥141

58.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.09 Rp 87.2K

$5.51 ¥37.61

-7.62%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 47.1K

$2.63 ¥17.93

4.56%

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

$1.38 Rp 23.7K

$0.41 ¥2.82

236.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.71 Rp 12.2K

$0.36 ¥2.44

97.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.88 Rp 49.3K

$0.80 ¥5.43

260.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 Rp 66.3K

$2.14 ¥14.62

80.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 Rp 30.7K

$1.57 ¥10.73

14.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 Rp 41.9K

$1.43 ¥9.76

71.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 Rp 20.7K

$0.61 ¥4.20

98.36%

Eggs

$2.39 Rp 40.9K

$0.97 ¥6.66

146.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.70 Rp 251.9K

$12.82 ¥87.6

14.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.24 Rp 72.7K

$2.24 ¥15.30

89.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.08 Rp 206.9K

$7.58 ¥51.8

59.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 Rp 62.8K

$1.77 ¥12.10

106.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 Rp 27.5K

$1.22 ¥8.32

31.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 Rp 46.6K

$0.53 ¥3.64

413.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 Rp 38.9K

$0.54 ¥3.66

320.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 32.6K

$0.72 ¥4.92

163.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 Rp 39.4K

$0.41 ¥2.78

460.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 Rp 17.4K

$0.37 ¥2.55

175.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.3K

$0.99 ¥6.73

-21.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.24 Rp 55.6K

$2.37 ¥16.20

36.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.06 Rp 412.3K

$9.47 ¥64.7

154.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 Rp 48.7K

$0.66 ¥4.49

330.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 47.8K

$2.93 ¥20.04

-4.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,606

$0.27 ¥1.83

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.24 Rp 141.2K

$16.57 ¥113

-50.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 7,700

$1.70 ¥11.64

-73.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,298

$0.33 ¥2.24

30.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 Rp 103.2K

$6.87 ¥46.96

-12.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 Rp 14.7K

$0.84 ¥5.71

2.38%

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

$26.1K Rp 446.6M

$19.3K ¥131.9K

34.93%

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

$31.7K Rp 543.2M

$16.5K ¥112.5K

92.46%

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

$78.3 Rp 1.3M

$45.09 ¥308

73.74%

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

$4.00 Rp 68.5K

$11.56 ¥79.0

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.35 Rp 417.3K

$11.59 ¥79.2

110.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$95.8 Rp 1.6M

$52.3 ¥357

83.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.46 Rp 110.6K

$13.85 ¥94.6

-53.36%

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 Rp 68.7K

$3.76 ¥25.71

6.65%

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

$302 Rp 5.2M

$168 ¥1,145

79.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,545 Rp 112.2M

$16.9K ¥115.7K

-61.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 Rp 915.5K

$43.43 ¥297

23.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.55 Rp 660.6K

$30.27 ¥207

27.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 Rp 1.5M

$72.8 ¥497

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

$74.0 ¥505

6.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 Rp 17.4M

$281 ¥1,922

261.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$672 Rp 11.5M

$187 ¥1,280

258.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 Rp 57.7M

$584 ¥3,990

476.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,108 Rp 36.1M

$367 ¥2,503

475.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,001 Rp 51.4M

$2,489 ¥17.0K

20.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 Rp 40.0M

$2,010 ¥13.7K

16.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$178 Rp 3.0M

$546 ¥3,729

-67.49%

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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,016 in Ubud, Bali and $281 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 208% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Ubud, Bali vs $21 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $174 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 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Jiaozuo earns 208% 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: $1,016 in Ubud, Bali versus $281 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Ubud, Bali versus $168 in Jiaozuo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $681 in Jiaozuo versus $1,395 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 105% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.