Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Karamay

For one person, living is cheaper in Karamay: $731 a month against $1,349 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Karamay, China
Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,349
/mo nomad
Karamay
🇨🇳 China
$731
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ubud, Bali and in Karamay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ubud, Bali and in Karamay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,349 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $731 in Karamay, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,349
  • Karamay $731

A couple spends around $2,305 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,172 in Karamay, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,305
  • Karamay $1,172

A family of three spends $3,261 per month in Ubud, Bali vs $1,612 in Karamay, rent included.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,261
  • Karamay $1,612

Ubud, Bali costs about 85% more than Karamay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.32 Rp 60.4K
$3.04 ¥20.20
9.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.64 Rp 648.1K
$22.13 ¥147
61.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.53 Rp 100.6K
$4.97 ¥33.05
11.27%
Cappuccino
$2.72 Rp 49.4K
$2.84 ¥18.92
-4.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.70 Rp 30.9K
$0.47 ¥3.14
261.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.76 Rp 13.8K
$0.31 ¥2.09
145.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.65 Rp 48.3K
$1.06 ¥7.06
150.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.38 Rp 79.7K
$2.13 ¥14.15
105.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.49 Rp 27.1K
$1.86 ¥12.35
-19.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 Rp 41.4K
$1.60 ¥10.65
42.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.19 Rp 21.6K
$1.01 ¥6.74
17.82%
Eggs
$2.04 Rp 37.0K
$1.60 ¥10.63
27.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.70 Rp 321.9K
$13.16 ¥87.6
34.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.96 Rp 72.1K
$3.35 ¥22.32
18.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.19 Rp 221.7K
$11.42 ¥76.0
6.74%
Apples (1kg)
$3.66 Rp 66.5K
$1.83 ¥12.17
100.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 Rp 27.6K
$1.36 ¥9.02
11.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 Rp 40.5K
$1.58 ¥10.49
41.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.97 Rp 35.9K
$1.26 ¥8.38
56.35%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 Rp 33.6K
$0.75 ¥5.01
146.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.42 Rp 44.1K
$0.97 ¥6.48
149.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 18.0K
$0.63 ¥4.18
57.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 Rp 9,336
$0.60 ¥3.98
-15.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.22 Rp 40.4K
$3.77 ¥25.06
-41.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.24 Rp 404.4K
$11.33 ¥75.4
96.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 Rp 41.1K
$0.88 ¥5.85
156.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.97 Rp 54.0K
$1.59 ¥10.61
86.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.25 Rp 4,564
$0.33 ¥2.17
-24.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.82 Rp 142.3K
$19.01 ¥127
-58.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.44 Rp 7,992
$1.47 ¥9.81
-70.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.43 Rp 7,821
$0.32 ¥2.16
34.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.41 Rp 98.4K
$7.42 ¥49.40
-27.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.82 Rp 15.0K
$1.26 ¥8.38
-34.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.8K Rp 433.5M
$18.7K ¥124.4K
27.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.7K Rp 577.3M
$15.3K ¥102.0K
107.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$50.0 ¥333
58.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 117.2K
$8.61 ¥57.3
-25.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.58 Rp 337.8K
$10.96 ¥72.9
69.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.48 Rp 899.8K
$42.43 ¥282
16.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.65 Rp 320.9K
$16.34 ¥109
8.02%
Cinema Ticket
$4.27 Rp 77.7K
$6.40 ¥42.60
-33.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 Rp 8.9M
$431 ¥2,869
13.78%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,674 Rp 103.2M
$17.4K ¥115.5K
-67.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$44.64 Rp 811.7K
$43.82 ¥292
1.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.95 Rp 635.6K
$33.60 ¥224
4.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.9 Rp 1.5M
$74.6 ¥497
7.06%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.4 Rp 1.4M
$75.4 ¥502
5.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,125 Rp 20.5M
$285 ¥1,896
294.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$671 Rp 12.2M
$185 ¥1,229
263.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,565 Rp 64.8M
$596 ¥3,964
498.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,723 Rp 31.3M
$369 ¥2,455
367.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,732 Rp 49.7M
$3,114 ¥20.7K
-12.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 Rp 41.5M
$1,975 ¥13.1K
15.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Karamay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$164 Rp 3.0M
$604 ¥4,018
-72.86%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
3.36
310.12%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Karamay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$672
Karamay
$185 72.5% $487
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$288
Karamay
$210 27.4% $79
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$108
Karamay
$86 20.1% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Karamay
$102 4.8% $5.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$104
Karamay
$70 33.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$58
Karamay
$55 4.8% $2.8
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$11
Karamay
$23 105% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,125 in Ubud, Bali versus $285 in Karamay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karamay are about 3.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali versus $22 in Karamay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $210 – making Karamay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Karamay
🕒 Local time
09:03 9:03 AM
09:03 9:03 AM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
490,348
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18,183 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20,242 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 6.65 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.41 CNY (1 CNY = 0.135 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Karamay 6,730 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Karamay

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Karamay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Karamay cheaper than Ubud, Bali?
Yes – Ubud, Bali is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,023 per month in Ubud, Bali and $1,096 in Karamay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Karamay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali.
How do food prices compare in Ubud, Bali and in Karamay?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Ubud, Bali, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Ubud, Bali or in Karamay?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Ubud, Bali and $22 in Karamay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Ubud, Bali or in Karamay?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Karamay, where all-in costs run around $731, than in Ubud, Bali at $1,349. In Karamay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ubud, Bali it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ubud, Bali or Karamay more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Karamay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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