Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ubud, Bali and Luoyang

For one person, living is cheaper in Luoyang: $660 a month against $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ubud, Bali
🇮🇩 Indonesia
$1,368
/mo nomad
Luoyang
🇨🇳 China
$660
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Luoyang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,368 in Ubud, Bali versus $660 in Luoyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $1,368
  • Luoyang $660

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,066 in Luoyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $2,314
  • Luoyang $1,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,260 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,471 in Luoyang.

  • Ubud, Bali $3,260
  • Luoyang $1,471

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 107% more expensive than in Luoyang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 1% above, Luoyang is 51% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.33 Rp 59.9K
$3.67 ¥24.52
-9.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$35.18 Rp 633.2K
$29.73 ¥199
18.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.80 Rp 104.5K
$5.62 ¥37.58
3.20%
Cappuccino
$2.73 Rp 49.1K
$3.55 ¥23.74
-23.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 Rp 29.5K
$0.47 ¥3.15
248.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 Rp 15.0K
$0.27 ¥1.82
207.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.70 Rp 48.6K
$1.24 ¥8.26
117.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.30 Rp 77.4K
$2.92 ¥19.50
47.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 Rp 27.1K
$1.92 ¥12.86
-21.87%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 Rp 41.4K
$2.30 ¥15.39
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.18 Rp 21.2K
$1.07 ¥7.17
10.28%
Eggs
$2.14 Rp 38.6K
$1.42 ¥9.49
50.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.48 Rp 314.6K
$13.60 ¥90.9
28.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 Rp 72.5K
$3.29 ¥21.99
22.49%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.23 Rp 220.1K
$9.11 ¥60.9
34.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.55 Rp 63.9K
$0.93 ¥6.21
281.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.57 Rp 28.3K
$1.34 ¥8.98
17.16%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.24 Rp 40.2K
$1.50 ¥10.02
49.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.93 Rp 34.7K
$1.33 ¥8.86
45.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 Rp 33.9K
$0.75 ¥5.05
150.67%
Onion (1kg)
$2.29 Rp 41.3K
$0.89 ¥5.95
157.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.99 Rp 17.9K
$0.44 ¥2.93
125.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.53 Rp 9,475
$0.80 ¥5.33
-33.75%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 Rp 41.1K
$1.69 ¥11.27
34.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$23.01 Rp 414.2K
$13.33 ¥89.1
72.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 Rp 42.2K
$0.47 ¥3.15
397.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 Rp 52.4K
$2.25 ¥15.06
29.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.24 Rp 4,315
$0.29 ¥1.91
-17.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.82 Rp 158.7K
$18.21 ¥122
-51.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.48 Rp 8,684
$1.18 ¥7.92
-59.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.46 Rp 8,233
$0.35 ¥2.36
31.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.45 Rp 98.2K
$7.26 ¥48.57
-24.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 Rp 15.9K
$1.27 ¥8.46
-30.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.6K Rp 442.2M
$19.6K ¥131.2K
25.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.2K Rp 561.4M
$17.2K ¥115.3K
80.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.0 Rp 1.5M
$43.59 ¥291
90.43%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.45 Rp 116.0K
$6.03 ¥40.30
6.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.57 Rp 334.2K
$10.29 ¥68.8
80.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$55.8 Rp 1.0M
$22.19 ¥148
151.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.11 Rp 326.0K
$12.12 ¥81.0
49.42%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 Rp 78.9K
$5.59 ¥37.35
-21.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$493 Rp 8.9M
$196 ¥1,310
151.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,754 Rp 103.6M
$18.7K ¥124.7K
-69.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.19 Rp 831.4K
$50.2 ¥336
-7.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.33 Rp 636.0K
$29.97 ¥200
17.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$79.1 Rp 1.4M
$64.4 ¥431
22.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$78.4 Rp 1.4M
$79.3 ¥531
-1.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,142 Rp 20.6M
$188 ¥1,256
508.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$676 Rp 12.2M
$129 ¥860
425.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,503 Rp 63.1M
$438 ¥2,930
699.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,700 Rp 30.6M
$224 ¥1,499
657.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,784 Rp 50.1M
$2,162 ¥14.5K
28.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 Rp 40.3M
$1,407 ¥9,408
59.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ubud, Bali
Luoyang
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$165 Rp 3.0M
$628 ¥4,202
-73.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.78
4.45
209.66%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 11, 2026

Last update for Luoyang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ubud, Bali
$676
Luoyang
$129 81% $547
Groceries & Markets
Ubud, Bali
$290
Luoyang
$211 27.4% $79
Eating Out
Ubud, Bali
$109
Luoyang
$104 4.6% $5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ubud, Bali
$108
Luoyang
$60 44.5% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Ubud, Bali
$108
Luoyang
$101 6.3% $6.8
Sport & Entertainment
Ubud, Bali
$65
Luoyang
$33 48.3% $31
Getting Around
Ubud, Bali
$13
Luoyang
$22 77.7% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,142 in Ubud, Bali and $188 in Luoyang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luoyang pays 282% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Luoyang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $290 vs $211 per month, with Luoyang cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali
🇨🇳 Luoyang
🕒 Local time
17:17 5:17 PM
17:17 5:17 PM
Same time as Ubud, Bali
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
74,800
1,926,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CNY, USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

Chinese Yuan exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 6.69 CNY (1 CNY = 0.15 USD). 1 EUR = 7.52 CNY (1 CNY = 0.133 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ubud, Bali Luoyang 4,800 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ubud, Bali
  • Luoyang

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 Luoyang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ubud, Bali or Luoyang?
Luoyang wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luoyang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ubud, Bali or in Luoyang?
On paper, salaries run 282% lower in Luoyang. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ubud, Bali compared to Luoyang?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,142 in Ubud, Bali versus $188 in Luoyang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ubud, Bali and in Luoyang?
Childcare runs $493 in Ubud, Bali versus $196 in Luoyang. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ubud, Bali or in Luoyang?
Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ubud, Bali or in Luoyang?
At $660 in Luoyang versus $1,368 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Luoyang but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Luoyang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ubud, Bali or Luoyang?
Both work as nomad bases, but Luoyang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $660 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luoyang hard to pass up.
How safe is Ubud, Bali compared to Luoyang?
Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Luoyang are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Luoyang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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