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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,419 in Ubud, Bali versus $830 in Nanjing.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,540 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,302 in Nanjing.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,773 in Nanjing.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 Rp 63.9K

$2.72 ¥18.42

30.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.73 Rp 586.8K

$22.36 ¥151

46.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.95 Rp 88.7K

$4.80 ¥32.48

3.13%

Cappuccino

$2.71 Rp 48.6K

$3.12 ¥21.15

-13.14%

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

$1.34 Rp 24.1K

$0.45 ¥3.03

197.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 Rp 12.5K

$0.24 ¥1.62

191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 Rp 52.3K

$0.82 ¥5.58

256.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 Rp 70.9K

$2.06 ¥13.93

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 Rp 32.4K

$2.33 ¥15.76

-22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 Rp 45.1K

$2.16 ¥14.65

16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

$0.77 ¥5.22

50.65%

Eggs

$2.46 Rp 44.1K

$1.49 ¥10.12

65.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.71 Rp 263.7K

$9.23 ¥62.5

59.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

$2.75 ¥18.63

57.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.14 Rp 217.5K

$8.96 ¥60.6

35.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 Rp 68.8K

$2.22 ¥15.02

72.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.9K

$1.42 ¥9.63

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 Rp 50.8K

$1.63 ¥11.04

73.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.33 Rp 41.7K

$1.20 ¥8.12

94.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 Rp 34.3K

$0.92 ¥6.23

107.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 Rp 39.5K

$0.91 ¥6.17

141.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 Rp 18.2K

$0.83 ¥5.59

21.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 Rp 13.9K

$0.57 ¥3.86

36.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.32 Rp 59.4K

$3.52 ¥23.82

-5.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.74 Rp 425.5K

$13.05 ¥88.3

81.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 Rp 50.0K

$0.92 ¥6.20

203.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 Rp 51.3K

$1.51 ¥10.20

89.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,819

$0.27 ¥1.82

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.03 Rp 143.9K

$27.67 ¥187

-70.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.46 Rp 8,181

$1.57 ¥10.60

-70.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 8,068

$0.36 ¥2.43

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 Rp 109.3K

$8.41 ¥56.9

-27.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

$1.13 ¥7.61

-30.09%

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

$26.1K Rp 468.8M

$17.0K ¥114.8K

54.15%

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

$32.1K Rp 575.8M

$14.7K ¥99.2K

119.12%

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

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

$42.34 ¥287

88.80%

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

$4.06 Rp 72.9K

$10.72 ¥72.6

-62.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 Rp 421.6K

$10.92 ¥73.9

115.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.7 Rp 1.8M

$26.44 ¥179

273.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.63 Rp 118.8K

$29.37 ¥199

-77.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 Rp 74.3K

$5.41 ¥36.65

-23.29%

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

$304 Rp 5.4M

$406 ¥2,748

-25.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,613 Rp 118.5M

$18.5K ¥125.0K

-64.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.5 Rp 995.6K

$42.23 ¥286

31.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.31 Rp 686.7K

$33.05 ¥224

15.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 Rp 1.6M

$67.2 ¥455

31.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.9 Rp 1.4M

$84.6 ¥573

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 Rp 18.0M

$425 ¥2,880

136.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$675 Rp 12.1M

$300 ¥2,029

125.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,442 Rp 61.7M

$911 ¥6,169

277.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 Rp 36.6M

$541 ¥3,664

276.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,841 Rp 50.9M

$5,311 ¥35.9K

-46.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,264 Rp 40.6M

$3,154 ¥21.3K

-28.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$165 Rp 3.0M

$1,388 ¥9,395

-88.09%

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 1, 2026

Last update for Nanjing: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Ubud, Bali and $425 in Nanjing. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanjing pays 740% 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 $22.00 in Nanjing for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $302 vs $203 per month, with Nanjing 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 Nanjing: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanjing is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Nanjing earns 740% 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 $425 in Nanjing. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Nanjing – a meal for two runs $22.00 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 $830 in Nanjing – a 71% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $830 in Nanjing versus $1,419 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Nanjing but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Nanjing the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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 Nanjing 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.