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: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $680 in Jiaozuo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,085 in Jiaozuo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,490 in Jiaozuo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 109% more expensive than Jiaozuo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Jiaozuo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 64.2K

$1.71 ¥11.59

108.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 589.7K

$20.95 ¥142

56.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 89.2K

$5.68 ¥38.43

-12.85%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.9K

$2.72 ¥18.40

-0.37%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.2K

$0.39 ¥2.62

243.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.36 ¥2.41

94.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

$0.79 ¥5.37

269.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 71.3K

$2.12 ¥14.34

86.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.6K

$1.51 ¥10.22

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.3K

$1.49 ¥10.07

69.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.9K

$0.65 ¥4.39

78.46%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.3K

$1.02 ¥6.91

141.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 265.1K

$12.96 ¥87.7

13.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.8K

$2.26 ¥15.26

91.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 218.6K

$7.55 ¥51.1

60.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 69.2K

$1.73 ¥11.71

121.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 28.1K

$1.26 ¥8.50

23.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 51.1K

$0.58 ¥3.91

387.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.9K

$0.53 ¥3.61

339.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.5K

$0.67 ¥4.52

185.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.7K

$0.40 ¥2.72

450.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.3K

$0.35 ¥2.36

188.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$1.01 ¥6.85

-22.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.7K

$2.41 ¥16.31

37.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 427.6K

$9.55 ¥64.6

148.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.3K

$0.66 ¥4.46

322.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.6K

$2.90 ¥19.63

-1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,842

$0.27 ¥1.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 144.6K

$17.02 ¥115

-52.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,222

$1.79 ¥12.12

-74.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,108

$0.33 ¥2.23

36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.8K

$6.54 ¥44.22

-6.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.3K

$0.86 ¥5.79

-8.14%

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

$26.1K Rp 471.1M

$19.6K ¥132.5K

33.52%

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

$32.1K Rp 578.6M

$17.0K ¥115.2K

88.56%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$46.09 ¥312

73.44%

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

$4.06 Rp 73.2K

$11.68 ¥79.0

-65.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 423.7K

$11.61 ¥78.5

102.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$53.5 ¥362

84.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 119.4K

$13.67 ¥92.5

-51.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.7K

$3.62 ¥24.48

14.64%

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

$304 Rp 5.5M

$168 ¥1,139

80.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 119.1M

$17.1K ¥115.7K

-61.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 1.0M

$44.08 ¥298

26.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 690.1K

$30.48 ¥206

25.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$71.2 ¥482

24.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$73.9 ¥500

5.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.1M

$274 ¥1,851

267.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.2M

$189 ¥1,279

257.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 62.0M

$603 ¥4,082

470.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.7M

$356 ¥2,408

472.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 51.2M

$2,544 ¥17.2K

11.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.8M

$1,967 ¥13.3K

15.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$573 ¥3,874

-71.14%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Jiaozuo: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jiaozuo pays 247% 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 $21.00 in Jiaozuo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $175 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, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 109% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Jiaozuo earns 247% 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 $274 in Jiaozuo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 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 $680 in Jiaozuo versus $1,419 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 109% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.