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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,396 in Ubud, Bali versus $704 in Ningbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,334 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,203 in Ningbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,273 in Ubud, Bali versus $1,702 in Ningbo.

Living in Ubud, Bali is roughly 98% more expensive than in Ningbo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ubud, Bali is 2% above, Ningbo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.37 Rp 59.5K

$2.80 ¥18.79

20.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.59 Rp 680.3K

$29.65 ¥199

30.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.52 Rp 97.3K

$4.48 ¥29.99

23.21%

Cappuccino

$2.64 Rp 46.6K

$3.41 ¥22.82

-22.58%

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

$1.67 Rp 29.5K

$0.47 ¥3.17

255.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 Rp 13.6K

$0.29 ¥1.92

165.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 Rp 46.4K

$1.05 ¥7.05

150.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$3.43 ¥22.97

24.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 Rp 27.3K

$1.82 ¥12.18

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 Rp 39.2K

$1.14 ¥7.63

94.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.13 Rp 19.8K

$0.68 ¥4.55

66.18%

Eggs

$2.09 Rp 36.8K

$1.56 ¥10.47

33.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.39 Rp 306.6K

$18.23 ¥122

-4.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 Rp 68.2K

$3.75 ¥25.10

3.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 Rp 221.2K

$8.63 ¥57.8

45.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 Rp 63.8K

$1.07 ¥7.15

238.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 Rp 27.5K

$1.53 ¥10.22

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.35 Rp 41.5K

$1.50 ¥10.05

56.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 Rp 36.2K

$1.21 ¥8.14

70.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 Rp 33.5K

$0.61 ¥4.07

211.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.34 Rp 41.2K

$0.71 ¥4.74

229.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 Rp 18.2K

$0.65 ¥4.33

58.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 Rp 9,779

$0.58 ¥3.90

-5.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 Rp 39.7K

$4.52 ¥30.30

-50.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.81 Rp 419.7K

$8.24 ¥55.3

188.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 Rp 40.8K

$0.81 ¥5.44

185.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 Rp 49.4K

$1.46 ¥9.80

91.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.27 Rp 4,802

$0.31 ¥2.09

-12.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.66 Rp 152.7K

$16.62 ¥111

-47.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.48 Rp 8,489

$1.68 ¥11.26

-71.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.45 Rp 7,863

$0.38 ¥2.52

18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.72 Rp 100.8K

$7.26 ¥48.65

-21.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 Rp 13.4K

$1.25 ¥8.35

-39.20%

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

$24.5K Rp 431.6M

$19.1K ¥128.2K

27.98%

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

$32.1K Rp 566.3M

$17.7K ¥118.9K

81.03%

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

$83.6 Rp 1.5M

$50.7 ¥340

64.73%

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

$6.46 Rp 113.8K

$6.53 ¥43.74

-1.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 Rp 334.8K

$7.86 ¥52.7

141.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 Rp 986.8K

$25.30 ¥170

121.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.62 Rp 328.2K

$14.30 ¥95.8

30.21%

Cinema Ticket

$4.28 Rp 75.5K

$7.86 ¥52.7

-45.55%

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

$487 Rp 8.6M

$954 ¥6,390

-48.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,856 Rp 103.2M

$15.9K ¥106.4K

-63.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.56 Rp 803.2K

$64.3 ¥431

-29.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 Rp 641.4K

$26.19 ¥176

38.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.0 Rp 1.4M

$62.0 ¥416

32.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.4 Rp 1.4M

$52.1 ¥349

54.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 Rp 19.7M

$351 ¥2,355

217.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$701 Rp 12.4M

$181 ¥1,215

286.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,537 Rp 62.4M

$770 ¥5,162

359.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 Rp 31.1M

$463 ¥3,105

280.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,826 Rp 49.8M

$3,889 ¥26.1K

-27.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 Rp 40.4M

$2,049 ¥13.7K

11.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$170 Rp 3.0M

$1,169 ¥7,834

-85.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.78

3.18

333.33%

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

Last update for Ubud, Bali: August 31, 2026

Last update for Ningbo: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,117 in Ubud, Bali and $351 in Ningbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ningbo pays 589% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Ubud, Bali vs $30.00 in Ningbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $201 per month, with Ningbo 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 Ningbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ningbo wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ningbo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 589% lower in Ningbo. 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: $1,117 in Ubud, Bali versus $351 in Ningbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $487 in Ubud, Bali versus $954 in Ningbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $704 in Ningbo versus $1,396 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ningbo but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Ningbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ningbo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ningbo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ubud, Bali and Ningbo 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 Ningbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.