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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $494 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,348 in Ubud, Bali versus $799 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,327 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 177% more expensive than in Kaifeng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 0% above, Kaifeng is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.44 Rp 60.9K

$1.74 ¥11.65

97.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.31 Rp 643.0K

$13.29 ¥89.1

173.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.71 Rp 101.0K

$4.18 ¥28.00

36.60%

Cappuccino

$2.67 Rp 47.3K

$2.51 ¥16.82

6.37%

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

$1.75 Rp 31.0K

$0.38 ¥2.57

360.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

$0.14 ¥0.93

521.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 Rp 52.3K

$0.92 ¥6.19

220.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 Rp 80.0K

$1.65 ¥11.05

173.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 Rp 28.7K

$1.54 ¥10.32

5.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$1.52 ¥10.15

53.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 Rp 19.6K

$0.85 ¥5.72

30.59%

Eggs

$2.20 Rp 39.0K

$0.91 ¥6.08

141.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.69 Rp 313.3K

$6.87 ¥46.02

157.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 Rp 72.5K

$2.37 ¥15.85

73.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.18 Rp 215.6K

$10.01 ¥67.0

21.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 Rp 65.6K

$0.84 ¥5.63

341.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 Rp 28.1K

$0.97 ¥6.46

63.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.4K

$0.63 ¥4.21

261.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 Rp 34.6K

$0.61 ¥4.08

219.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 33.7K

$0.63 ¥4.19

203.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.3K

$0.68 ¥4.56

242.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 17.8K

$0.23 ¥1.55

339.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,773

$0.52 ¥3.50

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 Rp 39.5K

$2.99 ¥20.04

-25.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.07 Rp 408.6K

$14.62 ¥97.9

57.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 Rp 42.8K

$1.00 ¥6.71

142.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.1K

$2.01 ¥13.46

49.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,814

$0.16 ¥1.07

68.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.98 Rp 159.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,566

$1.16 ¥7.79

-58.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,679

$0.14 ¥0.91

207.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.64 Rp 99.9K

$3.50 ¥23.42

61.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 Rp 14.2K

$1.23 ¥8.24

-34.96%

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

$24.9K Rp 441.7M

$19.4K ¥130.1K

28.41%

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

$31.7K Rp 561.5M

$14.6K ¥97.8K

117.21%

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

$81.5 Rp 1.4M

$44.50 ¥298

83.06%

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

$6.49 Rp 115.0K

$4.91 ¥32.86

32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.77 Rp 332.4K

$5.18 ¥34.71

262.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$29.77 ¥199

91.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 Rp 331.7K

$10.58 ¥70.8

77.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 Rp 80.4K

$3.67 ¥24.61

23.71%

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

$481 Rp 8.5M

$311 ¥2,080

54.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,711 Rp 101.1M

$22.1K ¥147.9K

-74.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 Rp 806.0K

$52.7 ¥353

-13.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 Rp 635.4K

$31.45 ¥211

14.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$70.3 ¥471

14.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 Rp 1.4M

$43.85 ¥294

79.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 Rp 19.7M

$121 ¥808

824.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$698 Rp 12.4M

$90.2 ¥604

673.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,637 Rp 64.4M

$221 ¥1,479

1546.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,737 Rp 30.8M

$175 ¥1,175

890.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 Rp 49.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 Rp 40.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$168 Rp 3.0M

$579 ¥3,878

-70.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.1

344.52%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,115 in Ubud, Bali and $121 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaifeng pays 245% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $13.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $164 per month, with Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kaifeng wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kaifeng the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 245% lower in Kaifeng. 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: $1,115 in Ubud, Bali versus $121 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 80% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,368 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $494 in Kaifeng – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $494 in Kaifeng versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kaifeng but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kaifeng the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kaifeng delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $494 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kaifeng hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kaifeng 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 Kaifeng gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.