Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kunming, Yunnan Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Kunming, Yunnan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $828 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,268 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,708 in Kunming, Yunnan.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 71% more expensive than Kunming, Yunnan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 6% above, Kunming, Yunnan is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.7K

$2.75 ¥18.63

29.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 584.5K

$28.34 ¥192

15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.4K

$6.86 ¥46.39

-27.84%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.4K

$3.11 ¥21.04

-12.86%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.0K

$0.44 ¥2.96

204.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.25 ¥1.68

180.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.1K

$1.41 ¥9.56

107.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.7K

$2.04 ¥13.77

94.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.3K

$2.01 ¥13.57

-9.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.0K

$1.72 ¥11.61

46.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.7K

$1.34 ¥9.07

-13.43%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 43.9K

$1.78 ¥12.07

38.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 262.7K

$7.00 ¥47.35

110.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.1K

$4.12 ¥27.88

4.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 216.7K

$11.01 ¥74.4

10.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.6K

$1.26 ¥8.54

204.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

$0.92 ¥6.20

69.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.6K

$1.38 ¥9.32

105.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.5K

$1.09 ¥7.34

113.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

$0.34 ¥2.27

461.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.3K

$0.82 ¥5.55

168.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.1K

$1.52 ¥10.26

-33.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.8K

$0.57 ¥3.88

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.2K

$2.04 ¥13.80

62.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 423.9K

$6.53 ¥44.18

263.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 49.8K

$0.72 ¥4.87

287.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.1K

$1.51 ¥10.21

89.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,800

$0.64 ¥4.34

-57.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.4K

$34.21 ¥231

-76.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,150

$1.09 ¥7.35

-57.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,037

$0.28 ¥1.90

60.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 108.9K

$13.66 ¥92.4

-55.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.12 ¥7.57

-29.46%

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

$26.1K Rp 467.0M

$20.4K ¥137.8K

28.31%

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

$32.1K Rp 573.6M

$17.5K ¥118.4K

83.47%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$51.7 ¥350

54.56%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.6K

$15.25 ¥103

-73.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 420.0K

$16.27 ¥110

44.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$68.6 ¥464

43.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.4K

$26.45 ¥179

-74.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.1K

$6.46 ¥43.65

-35.76%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$426 ¥2,881

-28.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.1M

$13.0K ¥87.6K

-48.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 991.8K

$71.0 ¥480

-21.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 684.1K

$33.49 ¥226

14.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$63.6 ¥430

39.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$105 ¥710

-25.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$279 ¥1,889

260.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$206 ¥1,396

227.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.5M

$515 ¥3,481

568.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.4M

$353 ¥2,385

478.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.7M

$3,020 ¥20.4K

-5.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.4M

$1,303 ¥8,808

73.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$843 ¥5,703

-80.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.28

4.45

198.43%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kunming, Yunnan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $279 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kunming, Yunnan pays 410% 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 $28.00 in Kunming, Yunnan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $182 per month, with Kunming, Yunnan 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 Kunming, Yunnan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kunming, Yunnan wins on cost – living expenses run 71% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kunming, Yunnan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Kunming, Yunnan earns 410% 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 $279 in Kunming, Yunnan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kunming, Yunnan – a meal for two runs $28.00 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 $1,419 per month in Ubud, Bali versus $828 in Kunming, Yunnan – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $828 in Kunming, Yunnan versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kunming, Yunnan but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Kunming, Yunnan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kunming, Yunnan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kunming, Yunnan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Kunming, Yunnan 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 Kunming, Yunnan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.