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: $1,404 in Ubud, Bali versus $696 in Kaifeng.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,104 in Kaifeng.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,694 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,512 in Kaifeng.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 102% more expensive than Kaifeng, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 4% above, Kaifeng is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

$2.71 ¥18.34

31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

$13.87 ¥93.8

134.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

$4.35 ¥29.40

11.72%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

$2.09 ¥14.16

31.58%

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

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

$0.44 ¥2.97

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

$0.22 ¥1.49

218.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

$1.09 ¥7.38

166.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

$2.05 ¥13.88

84.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

$1.84 ¥12.43

-7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

$1.59 ¥10.72

55.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

$0.84 ¥5.65

42.86%

Eggs

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

$1.55 ¥10.51

57.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

$13.00 ¥87.9

10.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

$3.23 ¥21.85

33.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

$10.32 ¥69.8

18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

$1.80 ¥12.19

104.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

$1.26 ¥8.54

23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

$0.60 ¥4.07

365.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

$1.09 ¥7.35

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$0.72 ¥4.87

173.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

$0.97 ¥6.55

138.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.61 ¥4.10

73.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

$0.54 ¥3.65

35.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

$3.18 ¥21.52

3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

$14.89 ¥101

53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

$0.75 ¥5.05

274.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$1.66 ¥11.25

67.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 Rp 5,217

$0.27 ¥1.81

7.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

$16.86 ¥114

-52.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 Rp 8,047

$1.37 ¥9.26

-67.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,094

$0.35 ¥2.39

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

$6.56 ¥44.35

-4.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

$1.12 ¥7.57

-24.11%

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

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

$19.7K ¥133.2K

31.92%

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

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

$16.7K ¥113.0K

89.37%

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

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

$45.40 ¥307

77.86%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

$9.67 ¥65.4

-58.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

$11.33 ¥76.6

115.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

$42.07 ¥284

132.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

$14.13 ¥95.6

-54.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

$6.33 ¥42.79

-36.18%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$334 ¥2,259

-8.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

$16.9K ¥114.5K

-60.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

$42.69 ¥289

27.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

$30.60 ¥207

26.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

$70.3 ¥475

22.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

$74.9 ¥507

2.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 Rp 17.7M

$278 ¥1,877

255.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 Rp 11.8M

$186 ¥1,260

253.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

$589 ¥3,981

472.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

$358 ¥2,422

476.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$163 Rp 2.9M

$574 ¥3,879

-71.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

3.87

243.15%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Last update for Kaifeng: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $986 in Ubud, Bali and $278 in Kaifeng. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kaifeng pays 251% 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 $14.00 in Kaifeng for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $204 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 102% 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, Kaifeng earns 251% 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: $986 in Ubud, Bali versus $278 in Kaifeng. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kaifeng – a meal for two runs $14.00 versus $33.00 in Ubud, Bali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,404 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $696 in Kaifeng – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $696 in Kaifeng versus $1,404 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 $696 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 102% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.