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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,408 in Ubud, Bali versus $646 in Lanzhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,016 in Lanzhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,763 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,386 in Lanzhou.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 118% more expensive than in Lanzhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 5% above, Lanzhou is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 Rp 62.1K

$2.05 ¥13.86

68.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.34 Rp 581.1K

$20.92 ¥141

54.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.84 Rp 87.1K

$6.22 ¥42.00

-22.19%

Cappuccino

$2.75 Rp 49.4K

$2.95 ¥19.91

-6.78%

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

$1.38 Rp 24.9K

$0.40 ¥2.72

245.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 Rp 13.5K

$0.27 ¥1.82

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 Rp 53.8K

$0.58 ¥3.89

415.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 Rp 69.2K

$1.64 ¥11.11

134.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 Rp 31.2K

$1.60 ¥10.83

8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 Rp 44.2K

$1.61 ¥10.90

52.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.17 Rp 21.0K

$0.94 ¥6.35

24.47%

Eggs

$2.43 Rp 43.7K

$1.82 ¥12.32

33.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.50 Rp 260.6K

$12.73 ¥86.0

13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 78.2K

$3.16 ¥21.37

37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 Rp 215.3K

$8.85 ¥59.8

35.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 Rp 66.8K

$1.80 ¥12.16

106.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 Rp 29.2K

$1.44 ¥9.74

13.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 Rp 49.3K

$1.30 ¥8.79

110.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

$0.94 ¥6.35

138.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 Rp 34.5K

$0.48 ¥3.25

300.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.28 Rp 40.9K

$0.88 ¥5.93

159.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

$0.46 ¥3.08

130.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

$0.52 ¥3.48

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.29 Rp 59.0K

$3.18 ¥21.48

3.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.19 Rp 416.8K

$11.56 ¥78.1

100.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

$0.75 ¥5.05

270.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 Rp 49.1K

$1.57 ¥10.62

73.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,786

$0.27 ¥1.80

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.11 Rp 145.7K

$16.53 ¥112

-50.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,675

$1.37 ¥9.29

-64.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.42 Rp 7,545

$0.20 ¥1.36

110.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 Rp 111.8K

$2.44 ¥16.49

154.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 Rp 14.6K

$1.36 ¥9.22

-40.44%

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

$26.6K Rp 478.2M

$19.7K ¥133.0K

35.24%

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

$32.2K Rp 578.5M

$16.5K ¥111.7K

94.66%

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

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

$44.89 ¥303

74.54%

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

$4.07 Rp 73.1K

$10.02 ¥67.7

-59.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.33 Rp 437.1K

$11.66 ¥78.8

108.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.6 Rp 1.8M

$41.19 ¥278

139.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.34 Rp 113.9K

$13.76 ¥93.0

-53.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 Rp 71.6K

$6.14 ¥41.46

-35.02%

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

$305 Rp 5.5M

$339 ¥2,291

-10.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,642 Rp 119.4M

$28.0K ¥189.2K

-76.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 Rp 972.9K

$44.28 ¥299

22.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.81 Rp 679.4K

$29.89 ¥202

26.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 Rp 1.6M

$70.3 ¥475

23.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.4 Rp 1.4M

$40.96 ¥277

86.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 Rp 17.8M

$275 ¥1,858

260.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$673 Rp 12.1M

$159 ¥1,077

321.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,375 Rp 60.7M

$601 ¥4,060

461.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,050 Rp 36.8M

$273 ¥1,846

650.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,805 Rp 50.4M

$2,679 ¥18.1K

4.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,227 Rp 40.0M

$1,710 ¥11.6K

30.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$167 Rp 3.0M

$926 ¥6,258

-81.97%

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: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lanzhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $992 in Ubud, Bali and $275 in Lanzhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lanzhou pays 455% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $21.00 in Lanzhou for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $193 per month, with Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lanzhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 455% lower in Lanzhou. 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: $992 in Ubud, Bali versus $275 in Lanzhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Ubud, Bali versus $339 in Lanzhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $646 in Lanzhou versus $1,408 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Lanzhou but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Lanzhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou 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 Lanzhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.